The APC has not responded to questions about the viral tweet nor has Tinubu been seen in public since March 21 when he hurriedly left for Europe
Uberfacts, an online web service that provides with random facts about trending news materials, cast global light on the drug case involving Nigeria’s President-Elect, Asewaju Bola Tinubu, who allegedly forfeited $460,000 to a US court in 1993 alleged to be proceeds of heroin trafficking.
The online media platform tweeted the alleged original court documents on Sunday, April 10, 2023 and it went viral instantly, generating over 11 million views few hours later.
The tweet read in parts:
“In 1993, Bola Ahmed Tinubu surrendered $460,000 to the US government after a Chicago court found the income came from heroin trafficking.”
Uberfacts was developed by Kris Sanchez in 2009. It bases its work on research from books, science articles, news, and factual documents as in the case in question.
Despite the certified true copies of his money forfeiture already in the public domain, Tinubu had insisted over the years that he had no criminal record.
The “president-elect”, all through his campaign, avoided talks regarding his criminal past with his paid and unpaid supporters attacking anyone who brings his drug dealing past up as “bearers of fake news”.
When Uberfacts was questioned about the veracity of its facts and wether it was paid to dig up dirt about the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate. It responded.
“And no I wasn’t paid to post that, in cash, kernel or otherwise,” adding, “For clarification, the source was United States Court documents which are public records and available in their entirety here.’
“MINUTE ORDER of 10/4/93 by Hon. John A. Nordberg : Counsel for the plaintiff appeared. Enter Decree of Forfeiture as to funds held by First Heritage Bank. It is ordered that the funds in the amount of $460,000 in account 263226700 held by First Heritage Bank in the name of Bola Tinubu are forfeited to the United States pursuant to 21 USC 881(a)(6) and 18 USC 981. It is ordered that First Heritage Bank shall issue a check in the amount of $460,000 payable to Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago terminating case Mailed notice (fce).” The court document read.
USC means United States Code and 881in its criminal statute books, relates to forfeiture of property resulting from dealing and distribution of “controlled substances”. While “981” relates to seizure of property violating the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act 1970.
Tinubu was also accused in the court filings of six federal crimes, according to the IRS Special Agent’s affidavit in this case: 1) Money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956); 2) Using funds from unlawful activity (18 U.S.C. § 1957); 3) Bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344); 4) Failure to file tax returns (26 U.S.C. § 7203); 5) Lying to federal agents (18 U.S.C. § 1001); and 6) Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371).
His sordid past forms part of the opposition Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s petition to the elections tribunal that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the presidency according to the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.
The APC has not responded to questions about the viral tweet nor has Tinubu been seen in public since March 21 when he hurriedly left for Europe on a “well deserved vacation”.
Observers wondered why Tinubu was not jailed by the US authorities. At the time of his indictment in 1993, he was a serving senator in Nigeria’s burgeoning Third Republic under the military dictator General Ibrahim Babangida. The Clinton administration was more interested in fostering Nigeria’s nascent democracy of which Tinubu had claimed to be leader.
– Felastory