Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm has warned that President Bola Tinubu will face public embarrassment if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month, claiming that world leaders are already aware of decades-old heroin trafficking allegations against him and that his bid for a private meeting with US President Donald Trump will fail.
Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington, D.C.–based firm that has been retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, made the prediction in a post on its verified X handle on Monday, August 31, 2026. The firm, which has been at the centre of a prolonged legal battle over the release of US government records relating to Tinubu, said key members of the Trump administration have made it clear that the US President will not hold a private meeting with "an alleged heroin trafficker".
"Unfortunately for President Tinubu, he is going to be embarrassed at the UN. The meeting President Tinubu has been pushing for with President Donald Trump at the UNGA will not happen," the firm said. It further claimed that "from South Africa to Italy, world leaders attending the UNGA will be fully aware of the heroin-trafficking allegations" against the Nigerian leader.
The firm, however, acknowledged that Tinubu can still travel to New York for the UNGA under the access and transit protections afforded to representatives of United Nations member states. "We look forward to President Tinubu attending the UNGA next month. Unfortunately for President Tinubu, he is going to be embarrassed at the UN," the firm said.
In a dramatic escalation, Von Batten-Montague-York threatened to launch a public awareness campaign in New York if authorised. "If we are authorised, we will put into operation our plan to ensure every New Yorker within a six-mile radius of UN Headquarters learns about President Tinubu's alleged role in smuggling poison (heroin) onto American soil," the firm said.
The latest warning comes amid an ongoing legal dispute in the United States over the release of records held by the FBI and DEA concerning Tinubu. The firm has previously accused the Biden administration of resisting efforts to make public records connected to the allegations. On August 28, records were submitted to Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia under seal for private review. The FBI has maintained that some information in the records is protected under exemptions covering personal privacy, confidential sources, and investigative methods.
The lobbying firm's intervention comes after Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, stated in a television interview that President Tinubu was expected to hold talks with President Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA. Von Batten-Montague-York said it had forwarded the video of Ibrahim's remarks to senior officials in the Trump administration and members of the US Congress.
The controversy has intensified in recent weeks as the 81st session of the UN General Assembly approaches. The annual gathering, scheduled to begin in September, is a major platform for diplomatic engagements and bilateral meetings. Any meeting between Tinubu and Trump would carry significant diplomatic and political interest, given the importance of Nigeria-US relations.
However, the firm's prediction remains an assertion rather than a confirmed decision by the US administration. Tinubu's legal team has previously challenged efforts to make some of the documents public. The allegations against Tinubu date back to the 1990s and involve a Chicago heroin ring investigation that led to a civil forfeiture of $460,000. Tinubu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged in the United States in connection with the case.
The development has sparked reactions from political observers and opposition figures. Senator Dino Melaye has also weighed in, describing the situation as "another show of shame" and questioning the President's decision to travel abroad amid growing controversy. As the UNGA approaches, the question remains whether President Tinubu will attend and face the predicted embarrassment, or whether he will choose to stay away from what could become a diplomatic minefield.
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