A United States Embassy document dated February 4, 2003, has resurfaced online, containing the outcome of an FBI criminal record check on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and listing his date of birth as March 29, 1952.
The letter was authored by Michael H. Bonner, who was the Legal Attaché at the American Consulate in Lagos at the time, and addressed to Tafa Balogun, the then Inspector General of Police.
It followed a formal request made by Balogun on February 3, 2003, asking the FBI to provide information on Tinubu through its National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
The document was posted on X by ambassador-designate and former presidential aide Reno Omokri. It also carries a certified true copy stamp from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Lagos State.
What the FBI Check Revealed
In the correspondence, Bonner informed Balogun that a search of the NCIC database produced no records showing any criminal arrests, outstanding warrants or wanted notices associated with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose date of birth was given as March 29, 1952.
Bonner explained that the NCIC is a centralised database containing criminal arrest and conviction information from the United States and its territories, outlining the scope of the search conducted.
“The result of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (DOB 29 March 1952), nor information of your department,” Bonner wrote.
What the NCIC Covers
The National Crime Information Center is an FBI-operated database used to maintain and share criminal justice information within the United States.
However, the database does not encompass areas such as financial records, civil cases or criminal histories from other countries.
As a result, a negative NCIC search indicates that no relevant US-based criminal record was found in the system when the check was conducted. It does not amount to a blanket clearance covering foreign jurisdictions or every other type of database.
The February 2003 letter did not mention any financial investigations or legal proceedings outside the United States involving Tinubu.
Tinubu’s Date of Birth in the Document
The document has also attracted attention because of its reference to March 29, 1952, as Tinubu’s date of birth.
The President’s date of birth has been the subject of public debate in Nigeria for years, making the date contained in the US Embassy correspondence particularly significant to those following the issue.
The document shared by Reno Omokri on X has since generated renewed discussion online.
See the letter below:
