Fidelis David in Akure
A United States-based medical doctor, Dr. Marindoti Oludare has faulted allegations that the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was ever involved in drug dealings in the United States of America
Oludare, also the Convener of Social Rehabilitation Gruppe (SRG) further explained that Tinubu’s love affair for Nigeria is one that has taken a lot of sacrifices.
He made this clarification in a statement he issued from the State of Texas, United States yesterday, faulting claims that the money was the proceeds of drug trafficking.
He said: “One thing that is universal about true love is that love is giving and Tinubu has always given without holding any lien. Many times this gift has not been reciprocated by those who have received it.
“Other times, the gift has been maligned by its beneficiaries. A case in point is the $460,000 he forfeited in September 1993,” the statement explained.
Citing the court filing, Oludare added: “Asiwaju’s money of over $2 million dollars were seized in January 1,0 1992, but an official filing was not made until July 15, 1993 (19 months after), a court order for the seizure was not officially given until August 19, 1993 and the banks did not receive an official notice until August 25 1993.
“The compromise settlement was filed September 15, 1993 and Asiwaju was given another 10 days to come and claim the remaining $460,000 if he chooses to. A thinking mind will ask, why did the prosecutor wait 19 months to file a case then settle it under two months.
This is because the prosecutor never had a case against Asiwaju. Had Asiwaju been a white man, maybe his fate would have been different in the racist American judicial system. Let’s go into the details of the case because that’s where the devil lies.
“The prosecutor identified the logistics of handling cash as a problem for drug dealers, but there was never a report of $1 in cash transactions being made across those accounts. Has anyone ever met somebody who sold drugs in checks and wire transfers?
“All the financial transactions referenced in the suit originated from Asiwaju’s bank account. Even the prosecutor was honest enough to acknowledge that Asiwaju had earned interest from his bank deposits.
“Seizing the funds in his accounts was a prosecutorial overreach and Asiwaju would have successfully defended and won a suit against the United States government.
“Asiwaju was a victim of trusted associates who attempted to use his legitimate business transaction history to create a legitimate paper trail in their own account from which they would be able to make huge deposits without raising a red flag.
“There is the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 that compels the bank to notify authorities of any transactions over $10,000. Had Asiwaju been involved in any illicit activities, he would not have had the audacity to make so many transactions for fear of being caught.
“Not only was Asiwaju innocent of any illicit activities but he was oblivious of the illicit activities of his then associates and the evidence was presented in those same court filings.
“On Jan 13, 1992, Bola Tinubu spoke with the prosecutor and acknowledged knowing those men and having business associations with them. A rational mind would wonder, had Asiwaju been aware of the illegal activities of his associates, would he have owned up to knowing them and having business transactions with them after his funds had been frozen!?
“The answer is no, he would have preemptively denied them and distanced himself from them as much as he could. When the popular internet fraudster hushpuppy was arrested, none of his friends and associates owned up to knowing him let alone having any business to do with him.
“Fast forward to Jan 30 1992, Asiwaju called back saying he does not know those men or have anything to do with them. This goes to show that he did not know those guys were involved in illegal activities up until that point.
“The prosecutor never told him his funds were seized until he discovered while trying to make a transfer , they never told why his funds were seized and anything about the allegations those men were being investigated for.
“Asiwaju, a dogged fighter, who was described by his nephew, Wale Tinubu as stubborn, never wanted to negotiate at that juncture according to Wale who was a lawyer on the case at the time. So, you will wonder, what made Asiwaju decide to negotiate and compromise. The answer lies in evaluating Asiwaju’s life and what he was involved in at the time.”
Oludare further clarified that on June 12, 1993, Nigeria went to the polls in the freest and fairest election in the country’s history at the time to elect MKO Abiola, though Justice Saleh ordered the halting of vote counting on June 14, 1993 while General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election on June 24, 1993.
Oludare explained how the annulment enraged Tinubu and compelled him to take to the streets to protest the decision of the military government.
He also explained how Tinubu came back to continue in 1999 when his dream of renewing the hope Nigerians had in Abiola drove him to lead Lagos from an insolvent state in an economic abyss to the becoming the 5th largest economy in Africa.
He said: “Tinubu’s love for his motherland did n0t let him rest on his oars, he came back 30 years after the “Hope 93” agenda to renew the hope for all Nigerians.
“It can simply be inferred that had it not been for the turmoil in the land, a battle Tinubu risked his life and that of his young family to fight; had it not been for the love of a people whom 75 percent of them were yet unborn at the time, Tinubu would have fought and won compensatory, nominal and punitive damages against the United States government because he is a fighter.”
