A US-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has said President Bola Tinubu is unlikely to be arrested if he attends this month’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
However, the firm said the Nigerian president could face public embarrassment during the gathering.
In a post on its verified X account on Saturday, the firm also claimed that a proposed meeting involving Tinubu, the United Nations and the White House would not take place.
The firm further argued that Tinubu should not meet with US President Donald Trump, citing allegations it said had previously been made against the Nigerian leader.
“There is no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the UN General Assembly this month. Any claim to the contrary is untrue,” the firm said.
“What is true is that President Tinubu will be embarrassed in New York.”
The firm alleged that the FBI had linked Tinubu to a criminal organisation involved in heroin trafficking from Nigeria to the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.
It added that it would continue lobbying members of the US administration and Congress over what it described as concerns about Tinubu's alleged past activities and their implications for US interests.
The claims by the lobbying firm remain allegations. The statement did not provide new evidence in support of its assertions.
Tinubu is expected to participate in international engagements surrounding the UN General Assembly, where world leaders traditionally gather for high-level diplomatic meetings.
