Reno Omokri, the ambassador-designate, has publicly denied claims he made in 2022-2023, which described President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord.”
Omokri also stated that Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, cannot rely on his earlier remarks, which were withdrawn, as a defense in Sowore’s ongoing cybercrime trial.
Sowore is facing trial on a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) for calling President Tinubu a “criminal” in a post on X in August 2025.
During cross-examination in court, Sowore’s defense counsel, Marshall Abubakar, presented video evidence showing Omokri making the claim in 2023 that he had documentary proof of Tinubu’s alleged drug activities.
In the video, Omokri is heard stating, “Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord. I’ve got documents to back it up. I spent my money, went to Chicago, went to court, and got certified true copies.”
Omokri’s comments were widely circulated, but he later retracted these statements, stating they were based on misinformation.
In a statement, Omokri explained that his earlier claims were made when he believed them to be true, but he later discovered they were false.
He publicly withdrew the allegations in 2023, both verbally and in writing, after realizing the claims were incorrect.
“I publicly withdrew them in writing and on video at various times,” Omokri stated. He admitted that the false claims were influenced by Omoyele Sowore and his platform, SaharaReporters.
Omokri further clarified that after Tinubu’s election was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2023, he publicly apologized for the statements he had made and affirmed his support for the president.
Omokri explained that on October 1, 2024, he personally apologized to President Tinubu, even going as far as to prostrate before him as a gesture of remorse.
Omokri argued that it was legally inappropriate for Sowore to use his withdrawn statements in defense. He cited the rule against hearsay, stating that previous statements made by a person cannot be used as evidence if those statements were later retracted.
Omokri emphasized that in law, a person cannot rely on statements that they themselves have publicly withdrawn to support their defense in a case.
“In law, it is ultra vires, and well established by the rule against hearsay, to use previous statements made at a time when it was believed to be true to establish the veracity of a claim you yourself caused to be published,” he added.
He further asserted, “Mr. Sowore cannot rely on statements I made between 2022 and 2023, and then publicly withdrew in 2023, as a defense for statements he made in August 2025.”
Omokri concluded by reaffirming that President Tinubu has never been a drug lord and that his earlier statements were a result of misinformation and misleading media reports.
He is now prepared to testify under oath and submit documentary evidence to support his retraction and refute any further claims of drug-related activities associated with the president.