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Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, says President Bola Tinubu and members of his family cannot be arrested or have their movement restricted while attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
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Ibrahim says the Nigerian Permanent Mission has received no communication from the United States government indicating any restriction on President Tinubu’s entry, movement or participation during the UNGA.
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The envoy says attempts on social media to push for Tinubu’s arrest in the United States are futile, insisting that allegations alone do not amount to criminal guilt without due process and a court conviction.
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Ibrahim notes that countries are free to determine who represents them at the General Assembly, adding that many nations are represented by vice presidents and foreign ministers instead of their presidents.
September 07, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has declared that President Bola Tinubu and members of his family enjoy protection under international law and cannot be arrested in the United States while attending the 2026 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Ibrahim, who is also Chairman of the United Nations Committee on Budget and Administration, made the clarification in a statement issued by the Office of the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York.
According to him, the Nigerian Mission has not received any notification from the U.S. government suggesting that President Tinubu’s movement, entry or participation at the annual UN gathering is subject to any restriction.
Citing Section 11 of the 1947 United Nations–United States Headquarters Agreement, Ibrahim explained that representatives of UN member states and members of their families are entitled to unimpeded transit to and from the UN headquarters district.
The envoy dismissed calls on social media urging U.S. authorities to arrest President Tinubu during his visit, describing such campaigns as legally baseless and incapable of overriding international obligations governing the United Nations.
“An allegation is not a crime”, Ibrahim said, stressing that criminal accusations must be established through due process and proved beyond reasonable doubt before anyone can be convicted or subjected to criminal sanctions.
He further explained that U.S. law enforcement agencies may invite individuals to provide information or statements during investigations and may collect identifying details such as fingerprints, educational records and family history. However, he noted that such procedures do not amount to an arrest or conviction and are part of investigative processes protected under U.S. law.
Ibrahim also stated that participation at the UN General Assembly remains a matter of national priority for every member state. He noted that more than 60 per cent of countries on the current UNGA speaking list are represented by vice presidents, foreign ministers and other senior officials rather than their presidents.
The ambassador recalled that a former Nigerian president—not President Tinubu—was once restricted to a 10-kilometre radius around the UN headquarters over a drug-related allegation, adding that the allegation was never proven.
He insisted that international law protects accredited representatives attending official UN functions and maintained that President Tinubu’s attendance at the General Assembly cannot be obstructed by campaigns driven by social media narratives.
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Background
Ambassador Ibrahim’s statement comes amid renewed public debate and online campaigns over President Tinubu’s planned participation at the 2026 UN General Assembly in New York. The discussions have centred on claims that the Nigerian president could face arrest in the United States over historical allegations linked to his past.
Nigerian officials have repeatedly maintained that no U.S. court has convicted President Tinubu of any criminal offence.
The latest clarification from Nigeria’s UN Mission seeks to reaffirm the legal protections available to heads of state and accredited representatives attending official United Nations meetings under the 1947 Headquarters Agreement between the UN and the United States.
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