Keyamo: Tinubu not linked to drugs — funds forfeited to US were tax deductions

Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, says funds linked to Bola Tinubu in the United States were tax deductions — not drug proceeds.

Keyamo spoke on Wednesday during an interview with Channels Television.

BACKGROUND

Over the past few months, there has been public scrutiny of background of Tinubu, APC presidential candidate.

The former Lagos governor has also been accused of alleged involvement in drug trafficking in the US — an allegation that has elicited varied reactions on social media.

On Tuesday, the social media was awash with what appeared to be certified true copies of a settlement order issued by a US court domiciled at the northern district of Illinois regarding forfeiture of funds in some bank accounts linked to someone named “Bola Tinubu”.

According to the court documents, there was probable cause to believe that the funds in bank accounts linked to the named Tinubu were proceeds of narcotics trafficking.

The court ruled that the sum of $460,000 in one of the accounts be forfeited to the US government.

The court document also shows that the case was heard in the US in 1993.

‘TINUBU WAS NOT SUED‘

Speaking on the court documents, Keyamo said the former Lagos governor was not sued or indicted on any charge, adding that the case was regarding the funds in 10 bank accounts linked to Tinubu.

“These processes are mere presumptions. They found money in his (Tinubu) accounts and they said he needed to come forward,” he said.

“In that affidavit of Kevin Moss, they said they interviewed Mobil and Mobil said this man is a treasurer in Mobil. Mobil said the funds are not for them.

“They confirmed his status not as a criminal but as a respected employee of Mobil. It is in that affidavit.

“After all the rigamarole trying to find out whether the accounts where the money came from are linked to drugs, they came to the conclusion that the deposits he made — what these bankers called investments — they said he had not paid tax on these interests. That is all.

“Look at paragraph 38. They said it is tax. They took what belonged to them.”