$9m Lobby Scandal: Tinubu Govt Blamed ‘Screwdriver Trader’ for US Airstrikes, National Embarrassment Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer

Human rights lawyer and lead counsel to IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, has strongly criticised the Federal Government over what he described as a shameful and contradictory narrative surrounding the recent United States military airstrikes in Sokoto State.

Ejimakor was reacting to reports traced to The New York Times, which suggested that the Nigerian government had reversed its earlier claim of providing intelligence for the December 2025 US airstrike. Instead, the government allegedly shifted responsibility to a private individual—an Onitsha-based “screwdriver salesman” and Catholic activist, Emeka Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety).

This reversal, according to Ejimakor, directly contradicts the Nigerian government’s earlier public position, where it openly took credit for supplying actionable intelligence and collaborating with the United States on the military operation in Sokoto.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Ejimakor condemned the inconsistency, accusing the Tinubu-led government of engaging foreign lobbyists—reportedly paid $9 million—to rewrite the narrative and deflect responsibility.

“Previously, the Nigerian government claimed the credit for providing the intelligence for the US airstrike in Sokoto,” Ejimakor wrote. “Now, the same government, through its $9m lobbyists, has contradicted itself by shifting the credit to a ‘screwdriver trader’. This is a national embarrassment.”

The comments have further intensified public debate over the controversial airstrike, which has remained under scrutiny both locally and internationally. While Nigerian authorities initially maintained that local security agencies played a decisive role in identifying the target, recent media narratives now suggest that reports and research circulated by a civilian activist may have influenced the US military action.

Ejimakor argued that the shifting explanations damage Nigeria’s credibility, raise questions about transparency and sovereignty, and expose the growing role of expensive foreign lobbyists in managing the country’s international image.

As the controversy continues to spread, the incident has reignited broader discussions about Nigeria’s security cooperation with the United States and the integrity of official communication on sensitive national security matters.