A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has reported an alleged $3 million bribe offer to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a probe into alleged drug trafficking allegations involving President Bola Tinubu.
The firm disclosed this in a statement posted on its verified X account on Thursday.
According to the firm, its leader, Dr. Von Batten, rejected the alleged offer and retained copies of communications relating to the proposal.
Firm Preserves Evidence
Von Batten-Montague-York said it reported the matter to the DOJ as a precaution and to protect its reputation.
The firm said it submitted screenshots of the communications it received to the US authorities.
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It explained that the amount of money involved, a proposed confidential meeting in London and a request to use disappearing messages raised concerns and prompted it to preserve the evidence.
“Given the amount of money discussed, the proposed confidential meeting in London, and the request to communicate through disappearing messages, we believed the responsible course was to preserve the evidence and bring the matter to the attention of the appropriate US authorities.”
The firm said it would now leave the matter with the DOJ to determine whether the communications require further investigation.
“We will now allow DOJ to determine whether the communications warrant any further review,” it said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.