Sowore Renews Drug Allegations Against Tinubu in Fiery Critique of $9 Million U.S. Lobbying Deal Prominent Nigerian activist and Sahara Rep...
Sowore Renews Drug Allegations Against Tinubu in Fiery Critique of $9 Million U.S. Lobbying Deal
Prominent Nigerian activist and Sahara Reporters founder Omoyele Sowore has reignited longstanding allegations against President Bola Tinubu, claiming the president's deep familiarity with the United States stems from a criminal past involving drug trafficking. The remarks, delivered in a recent outdoor press interaction, were captured in a video circulating widely on social media and come amid controversy over the Nigerian government's multimillion-dollar lobbying contract with a Washington firm.
In the statement, Sowore asserted: "Tinubu understands the USA very well. He lived there. He was there, as I've always said, as a criminal, because he was selling drugs. Yes. And so he understands them very well. He knows what they want. That's why he never spoke publicly when they were harassing him. Uh, and I'm sure they have a whole lot of [dossiers] on him that has kept him very grounded in a way that he knows what will please."
Sowore framed the comments as part of a broader criticism of U.S. foreign policy and Nigeria's reliance on American intervention. He warned that "the US cannot save you except you save yourself. The US has never saved anybody except the US," pointing to domestic American issues such as killings related to immigration offenses and what he termed "fascism." He added that "Donald Trump has more supporters in Nigeria than he has in the US at this point," while cautioning against allowing a foreign leader demonstrating "fascism" to dominate an African nation's affairs.
The outburst directly references Nigeria's December 2025 engagement of DCI Group, a U.S.-based public affairs and lobbying firm with Republican connections. Filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, the 12-month contract—valued at $9 million ($750,000 monthly)—was arranged via Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based firm, on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. An initial $4.5 million payment was made on December 12, 2025, with the balance due by July 2026.
DCI Group's mandate includes engaging U.S. officials, lawmakers, and media to highlight Nigeria's counterterrorism operations and efforts to protect Christian communities, while countering narratives of religiously motivated violence or "Christian genocide" in northern Nigeria. The deal aims to sustain U.S. support against jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements in West Africa.
The contract follows intensified U.S. scrutiny under the Trump administration. In late 2025, President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" over alleged failures to curb violence against Christians. He publicly threatened military intervention, vowing to act "guns-a-blazing" against terrorists targeting Christians. U.S. airstrikes hit suspected terrorist sites in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025, actions coordinated with Nigerian authorities.
Sowore's allegations echo historical claims tied to a 1993 U.S. civil forfeiture case in Chicago. Court records show Tinubu forfeited approximately $460,000 from bank accounts linked by investigators to proceeds from a heroin trafficking network. Tinubu was not criminally charged or convicted; the matter was resolved via settlement and dismissal with prejudice. Recent attempts to access related federal records (involving the CIA, FBI, and DEA) have been blocked on national security grounds.
Tinubu and his supporters have long dismissed these as politically motivated smears from opponents, emphasizing his background in accounting, business, and pro-democracy activism rather than criminality.
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