By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has voiced strong opposition against the further release of FBI records involving President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Sunday evening monitored by PerSecondNews, Omokri argued that the unreleased documents contain sensitive personal information that warrants protection, pushing back against renewed public calls for full disclosure.
“Who on earth would like their DNA records, blood group, fingerprints, biometrics and other sensitive personal information released publicly? These are the kinds of records contained in FBI files, and they should be protected,” he said.
He explained that such information could enter FBI records through routine background checks conducted by U.S. authorities.
“When you go to the U.S. Embassy and take your biometrics, it goes directly to the FBI. When you provide financial information or information about your family, those details can also become part of the records,” he noted.
Omokri warned that releasing such information could create opportunities for political opponents to misuse personal data against the President.
“You don’t want those records in the hands of your enemies. They can contain information that could be used to set up the President or even incriminate him, and that is why their release should be opposed,” he stressed.
He drew a comparison with a previous controversy involving Nigerian singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over the release of DNA-related documents.
“If I give you those DNA records, they can be cloned and used to incriminate him. That was the concern in that case, and the same principle applies when you are dealing with sensitive personal information belonging to the President,” he quoted Adeleke as saying.
Omokri also rejected the description of the documents as criminal records, arguing that FBI records are generated for several purposes unrelated to criminal activity.
“One hundred and sixty-one million Americans have FBI records. If you have applied for a U.S. visa, you have an FBI record, because the FBI conducts checks on people applying for visas and those requiring background checks,” he said.
He referred to an FBI letter dating back to 1993 which, according to him, recorded the outcome of checks conducted on Tinubu.
“The result of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, warrants or wanted status for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So, the document does not establish that the President had a criminal record,” he explained.
Omokri further disputed the suggestion that Tinubu was personally investigated by the FBI, distinguishing between an investigation involving other individuals and one in which the President was the subject.
“There was an investigation, but Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the subject of that investigation. The people being investigated were other individuals whose funds were connected to accounts he held as an accountant,” he added.
According to him, the forfeiture involving the funds should therefore not be interpreted as evidence of a criminal case against Tinubu.
“The President was an accountant and had client funds. Those clients were being investigated by the FBI, and some of their funds were found to be suspicious. The forfeiture was connected to those funds,” he stated.
Omokri, who was previously a critic of Tinubu, said his change of position followed his decision to personally investigate allegations against the President rather than rely on reports and claims.
“I have always tried to be fact-driven rather than emotional. I went to Chicago to investigate the claims about President Tinubu, and when the evidence changed, I changed my position.”