'Tinubu get right to challenge release of alleged drug trafficking record' - Lawyer

Legal counsel to President Bola Tinubu don defend di Nigerian leader decision to challenge di release of some U.S. govment documents wey get connection to long-standing allegations of drug trafficking.

Di lawyer, Chris Carmichael tok say di move na to protect Tinubu legal rights and e no suppose make anybody conclude say di President dey to admit any wrongdoing.

Carmichael tell BBC News Pidgin say on di ongoing court case for di America, di president bin act based on legal advise wen e move to stop di US Department of Justice (DOJ), Di Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and di Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing alleged records and documents wey get connection to di case.

"Like evri oda pesin wey dey participate for di American legal system, President Tinubu get right to exercise im rights or waive dem," Carmichael tok. e add say "If a litigant choose to waive or forego im rights, dem don lost forever."

Oga Tinubu lawyer reaction dey come as public interest begin ginger again for records wey some individuals and groups dey try get access to, on top allegations wey don follow di Nigerian leader for many years.

Tinubu don repeatedly deny say e get hand for drug trafficking, and e don continuously maintain say no court for America convict am for any criminal offence.

According to Carmichael, na di president legal team advise am to challenge di release of di documents in order to preserve im rights under di U.S. legal system.

"Upon di advice of counsel, dem suggest to di President say make e exercise im rights in order to be treated like any oda participant for court. Di President accept our advice," di lawyer tok.

Di legal battle bin centre on weda make U.S. agencies, wey include di DOJ, FBI and DEA, release records wey connect to past investigations and proceedings wey don bicom subject of political debate for Nigeria and di US.

Supporters of di president don argue say di request for disclosure dey politically motivated, while critics tok say make dem make di records public in di interest of transparency.

Carmichael, however, clear am say di issue dey bifor di court and di final decision rest wit di judge wey dey in charge of di case.

"As always, di Judge go decide di outcome of di case," e tok. "As im lawyers, we dey optimistic say di court go treat di president fairly and dis mata go conclude within a reasonable period," e add.

Na recently tori comot say one American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, don file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against several US govment agencies to get access to documents wey relate to di investigations dem carry out about Tinubu.

Greenspan request include FBI entire file on Tinubu and FBI Form 302 interview records concerning di period between 1992 and 1993.

Di case also involve one alleged record wey dey connected to one 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding for di US wey involve about $460,000 linked to Tinubu.

However, President Tinubu legal team wey include Chris Carmichael bin argue for court say di release of di records fit infringe on im privacy, according to one 16-page court documents tori pipo sight.

"For di 1993 civil forfeiture case, di documents wey dem submit for dat proceeding no show details of any possible criminal investigation against Tinubu or di outcome of any such investigation. Apart from assumptions and labels, di plaintiff no point to any existing public record wey contain details of any govment criminal investigation or findings against Tinubu. (DE 85-3, No. 16).

"Submission for dat proceeding no show di details of a possible criminal investigation (or dia results) wey involve di Intervenor. Apart from speculation or labels, Plaintiff no point to an existing public record wey contain details of a govmental criminal investigation or findings about Intervenor. (DE 85-3, No. 16.)", one of di documents tok.

"Regardless of di prior disclosure for di forfeiture proceeding, Intervenor retains a privacy interest in potential disclosure of di investigative files wey di Plaintiff dey seek", the document read in part.

Also one United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, tok say di Nigerian leader dey fight hard to hide records of alleged drug trafficking.

For one post on im verified X handle on Saturday, di firm say di president bin ask di court say to order di US agencies make dem no release di records.

Von Batten-Montague-York say di president cite im right to privacy as di reason why make dem no release di records.

On Sunday, di firm also tok say di FBI and di DEA don present di court wit new filings concerning di alleged heroin-trafficking records wey involve President Tinubu.

"Wetin dey shocking na say we learn say FBI Tinubu-responsive search produce 399 pages of documents wey relate to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

"Within dos records na materials tied to one drug-trafficking investigation wey involve heroin-residue laboratory testing, controlled drug purchases by a cooperating witness, confidential informants, federal grand-jury activity, prosecutorial reports and meetings, surveillance, undercover operations, financial seizures, bank-account seizure warrants, IRS criminal-investigation material, and international investigative coordination," Von Batten-Montague-York tok for one post on X.