Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has said President Bola Tinubu and members of his family face no restrictions on their movement in the United States while attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Ibrahim said the Nigerian Mission in New York had received no notification from the US government indicating that any movement restrictions had been placed on the President or his family.
According to the envoy, representatives of UN member states and their families are protected from impediments to travelling to and from the United Nations headquarters under the 1947 UN-US Agreement.
He explained that Section 11 of the agreement requires US federal, state and local authorities to avoid imposing restrictions on the movement of accredited representatives, their families and certain other persons attending to official UN business.
The clarification comes amid discussions surrounding legal proceedings in the United States involving requests for government records relating to Tinubu.
Ibrahim stressed that allegations should not automatically be regarded as criminal offences, noting that criminal accusations must be established through due process and proven before a conviction can be reached.
He also recalled that a former Nigerian president, whom he clarified was not Tinubu, had previously faced movement restrictions around the UN headquarters in connection with a drug-related allegation, but said the allegation was never established.
The ambassador further dismissed suggestions that efforts on social media to have Tinubu arrested during the UN General Assembly would succeed, maintaining that the President and his family have no current movement restrictions in the United States.
Ibrahim also noted that attendance at the UN General Assembly is ultimately a matter of national priority, pointing out that countries sometimes send vice presidents, foreign ministers or other senior officials to represent them.
He urged Nigerians to remain supportive of the country and continue to uphold the national image as preparations continue for the annual gathering of world leaders in New York.
