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| Tinubu’s Drug Trafficking Past In the US, and certificate forgery stopped his vice presidnetial ambition |
Sources hinted that aside from the Muslim/Muslim ticket thing, Tinubu was opposed on the basis of his “past” ─ although his supporters argue that there is no case against him, neither has he been convicted in any court of law. But records show he had a plea dead to forfeit all proceeds from his drug deals, which in it self is technically a conviction.
Tinubu also has issues with his resume. His certificates, place of birth, parentage are all questionable. All the schools he claimed to have attended cannot be verified. His celebrated University of Toronto case is still fresh. It is instructive to point out that Yemi Osinbajo was one of his counsels in that case.
Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the party, had ceded the choice of his running mate to Tinubu as the political leader of the south-west, which is the second largest voting bloc in the country. In his calculations, Buhari had sought to avoid the mistakes he made in the past when he picked his running mates all by himself, deciding that a major power bloc should be involved this time around.
Another reason why Buhari ceded was because Tinubu mobilized the APC Governors to provide huge cash to checkmate Abubakar Atiku at the convention.
Tinubu who provided the bulk of the cash used to induce delegates in favor of Buhari, wanted the VP slot. But he had plan B. He listed his wife,Oluremi, and the current running mate Yemi Osinbajo. But party men like Amaechi who spent a fortune on Buhari and Saraki insisted the APC could not afford to have a VP like Tinubu with his damaged brand.
Amaechi, Babatunde Fashola. Adams Oshiomhole, Osinbajo, Remi Tinubu and Rochas Okorocha were on he card. But Tinubu had a stiff opposition money from men like Amaechi and Saraki.
At the end, he was forced to back down. But he had a proviso, Buhari must pick one of his lackeys, Remi or Osinbajo or kiss his support good bye. They took his threat seriously because of his mercantile disposition.
Tinubu maintained that, he must have a say since he mobilized the cash that checkmated Atiku. Atiku, it was learnt had $3000 per delegate but Tinubu convinced the APC Governors to ensure each got $5,000.
This sombre cloud has been hanging now over the Bola Tinubu camp since the bombshell exposed the fact that, aside from the celebrated case of Tinubu’s certificate forgery scandal regarding his purported degree from a Chicago university, the Jagaban was once tried extensively for drug trafficking in the USA.
So damning are the disclosures that they are certain to smear the crusading image of an APC that Nigerians believe is composed of morally superior citizens, who are on a mission to repair a nation vandalized by the PDP’s much touted rein of corruption, brigandage and impunity
The US Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) site, pacer.gov’ w incontrovertible records indicate that the bulk of Tinubu’s properties and assets were actually confiscated by the government of the United States, in regard to the case of drug trafficking.
In one instance Tinubu, on 10/4/93 forfeited to the US government the sum of $460,000 held in his name, in his account no. 263226700, at First Heritage Bank. The records go further to explain that the funds, forfeited to the Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago, were seized by the Us government because they were acquired through the distribution of hard drugs.
What the shocking exposure reveals is that Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State and leader of the former ACN, now a major part of APC was a long time drug baron and probably still is. Indeed the 1993 case was ongoing whilst he was a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Haba, Nigerian leaders!
Since the scandalous story broke, many Nigerians “loyal” to Bola Tinubu have argued that it doesn’t matter, adding that it all happened over 20 years ago and that in all that time the Jagaban has certainly turned over a new leaf. Well, the big question is: has he, really?
There are valid documents to prove that between 1988 and 1993 Bola Tinubu controlled the activities of a white heroin trafficking network, a drug trafficking ring which was centered around Adegboyega Mueez Akande, Mr. Lee Andrew Edwards and one Abiodun Agbele with Bola Tinubu at the helm of affairs, quite reminiscent of a spanish drug cartel.
The ten different bank accounts that Bola Tinubu operated in The US at that time had come under investigation by the United States Internal Revenue Service, criminal investigation division and their investigation led them to believe that the account was, infact, connected to a white heroin trafficking network operating in Chicago, Illinois and Hammond, Indiana.
Interestingly, at this period Bola Tinubu was an employee of Mobil Nigeria Ltd with monthly earnings of about $2,400 yet he operated ten different bank accounts, incredible isnt it? In November 20, 1990, one Abiodun Agbele, whom Tinubu said was known to him, was arrested after selling one ounce of white heroin to an undercover agent for $7,000.
Agbele was described as an agent of Mueez A. Akande in the distribution of heroin in the United States. Interrogation of the said Agbele and further investigations revealed the identity of the other individuals, including relatives who have worked for Akande with various duties in the hard drugs distribution cartel.
One of these individuals has been identified by the investigation as Bola Tinubu. Governor Tinubu did not file any document to explain the source of money totaling over 1.4 million dollars which was traced to his account which was clearly above his means of income.
The court case with case No. 93 C 4483 which was filed on July 26, 1993 before the Hon. Judge Nordberg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States against Bola Tinubu regarding the forfeiture of funds in his ten bank accounts would have gone to full trial.
But as a sharp guy, according to the Nigerian street parlance, Bola had ingeniously struck a deal to forfeit the bulk of the funds in the bank Accounts. Thus, the other big question is: would an innocent person admit to forfeit his legally, hard earned money in a drug case to merely save his face if he is not guilty of the crime?
John A. Nordberg of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ordered the forfeiture of the huge sums, found in 10 of Tinubu’s accounts, declaring they were believed to be proceeds of illicit drug trade.
The court, in the order given on October 4, 1993, said the drug deal, specifically in white heroin, involved Tinubu; his wife, Oluremi; and three of his family members. The accounts from which the funds were seized included First Heritage Bank (263226700), Citi International Bank (39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400200, 39936404, 39936383, 52050-89451952, 52050-89451952 and 52050-89451953).
According to a Special Agent of the United States Criminal Investigation Service, Kevin Moss, the DEA became involved in the investigation of a white heroin network operating in Chicago, Illinois (where Tinubu alleged he got a university certificate, which became a source of controversy while he was in office) and Hammond, Indiana in 1988.
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