A Washington based lobbying firm, Von Batten Montague York L.C., has disclosed that it met with Republican and Democratic congressional staffers to discuss several issues, including heroin trafficking allegations concerning President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement posted on X on October 15, 2026, the firm said its representative, Dr. Von Batten, held the meeting on October 14 with staffers from both parties in the United States Congress.
The statement comes as Tinubu seeks tougher laws against hard drug cultivation, trafficking and sale in Nigeria, prompting the firm to question his position on drug control in light of the allegations it referenced.
The firm said the president was not convincing anyone with what it described as an attempt to rebrand himself as an opponent of drug trafficking.
It challenged Tinubu to publicly call on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release all records concerning alleged heroin trafficking reportedly connected to him.
The firm also urged the president to withdraw his petition before the United States courts opposing the disclosure of the records.
It argued that until Tinubu supports the release of the documents and withdraws his legal challenge, his renewed anti drug advocacy would remain questionable.
The statement described the president’s latest position as a desperate stunt.
This comes as Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to consider three executive bills designed to strengthen drug enforcement, expand transport safety investigations and establish a new institution for training government leaders.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, read the president’s letters during Thursday’s plenary session. The letters were transmitted under Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, with the president urging lawmakers to give the proposals prompt attention.
The first proposal, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026, seeks to repeal the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap 16, contained in the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The bill proposes a unified legal framework for drug control and enforcement, covering the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs. It also seeks to empower the agency to investigate people suspected of dealing in illicit substances.
The second bill seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Establishment Act No. 35 of 2022 to make the bureau an independent multimodal safety investigation authority.
The proposed amendment would expand its responsibilities beyond aviation to cover rail, maritime and other transport incidents. It would also transfer supervisory oversight to the Presidency and strengthen the bureau’s institutional, operational and administrative powers.
The third bill proposes the establishment of a National School of Government and the repeal of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Act, Cap A4.
The proposed institution would focus on leadership development, policy delivery and strengthening the executive capacity of government officials.
Meanwhile, Von Batten Montague York has been involved in a Freedom of Information Act case in US courts seeking FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration records relating to a Chicago investigation in the 1990s into a heroin trafficking network.
An August 2026 sworn FBI declaration reportedly confirmed that responsive records had been compiled during an investigation involving multiple individuals suspected of drug trafficking crimes. The court has also acknowledged an investigation involving Tinubu.
Tinubu, through his lawyers, has sought to limit further disclosure of the records on privacy grounds.
Parts of the legislative package had also previously been transmitted to the Senate.
The latest development places the lobbying firm’s demand for disclosure alongside the president’s proposed drug control reforms. Tinubu’s response to the firm’s latest challenge was not included in the statement.
