FACT-CHECK: Viral Video of Tinubu, Wike Discussing US Forfeiture Files Over Alleged Drug Case Is FALSE
BY: PETER EMMANUEL |
CLAIM
A viral video claims that President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, held a private discussion about US documents relating to alleged forfeited funds connected to Tinubu’s past drug case.
The video also claims that Tinubu told Wike it was time to give Atiku Abubakar “the same medicine as El-Rufai.”
FULL TEXT
A viral video circulating on Facebook depicts President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in what appears to be a private conversation about documents allegedly being circulated in the United States over Tinubu’s past drug case.
The video was posted on Facebook by OkwadikeTV with the caption, “political game about to start.” It had recorded more than 525,000 views, 5,400 likes, 73 comments and 328 reshares as of the time of this report.
In the video, the character representing Tinubu allegedly tells Wike that “Atiku lobby’s firm in the U.S. are circulating some documents about forfeited monies in the White House.”
Wike is then heard responding, “Mr. President, where do you want me to start from?”
The character representing Tinubu subsequently says, “I think it’s time we gave him the same medicine as El-Rufai.”
The exchange is presented as an actual private conversation between Tinubu and Wike, with the reference to US forfeiture files linked to the political dispute over Tinubu’s past.
VERIFICATION
DNN FactCheck examined the video and searched for credible evidence that Tinubu and Wike had the conversation depicted in it.
No credible report, official transcript, statement or authentic recording was found showing that Tinubu and Wike held such a discussion or made the statements attributed to them.
The video presents the two politicians as having a private conversation, but there is no corresponding record from the State House or the Federal Capital Territory Administration confirming that such an exchange took place.
The US records referenced in the video, however, relate to a genuine legal matter. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation submitted records relating to Tinubu to a federal court in Washington, D.C., in connection with a Freedom of Information Act case filed by Aaron Greenspan.
The records were submitted to US District Judge Beryl A. Howell under seal for review. The case concerns access to government records and does not, by itself, establish that Tinubu has been charged with a crime or that an arrest warrant has been issued against him.
The Presidency has also described the matter as a civil FOIA records-disclosure dispute, rather than a criminal trial or extradition proceeding.
The viral video nevertheless uses the real US court controversy to present an unverified conversation between Tinubu and Wike.
The claim that an Atiku-linked US lobbying firm is circulating White House documents concerning forfeited funds is also not substantiated by any official US government document presented in the video.
There is no verified evidence showing that Tinubu instructed Wike to retaliate against Atiku or referred to giving him “the same medicine as El-Rufai.”
The reference to former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai appears to draw on separate political and legal controversies involving him. However, the existence of those controversies does not establish that Tinubu and Wike discussed using similar measures against Atiku.
VERDICT
FALSE
WHAT WE FOUND
The viral video falsely presents a purported private conversation between Tinubu and Wike as genuine.
While the video references a real US court case involving requests for records relating to Tinubu, there is no evidence that the case resulted in the conversation portrayed in the video.
There is also no credible evidence that Tinubu and Wike discussed alleged US forfeiture files, Atiku’s political activities or giving Atiku “the same medicine as El-Rufai.”
The video therefore combines a genuine ongoing legal issue with an unsupported dialogue involving two public officials.
CONCLUSION
The viral video is FALSE.
Tinubu and Wike have not been shown to have had the private discussion portrayed in the video. Although the US court proceedings involving records relating to Tinubu are genuine, they do not authenticate the dialogue or the allegations made in the viral video.
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