The United States government has said that it would require the legal consent of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before releasing information about his immigration status in the country.
The U.S. government was responding to a Premium Times enquiry on whether Abubakar was wanted in, or barred from entering, the U.S.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is prohibited by law from releasing such information without the written legal consent of the individual about whom you are asking these questions,” Julie, a Senior Public Information Officer at U.S. CBP said in an email response.
The agency declined to provide Julie’s surname, citing “security concerns.”
The former vice-president’s U.S. immigration status was, once again, the subject of debate following a spat with Governor Nasir E-Rufai of Kaduna state last November.
El-Rufai had dared Abubakar to travel to the U.S., suggesting he was wanted for alleged corruption.
The governor was reacting to an interview Mr. Abubakar granted to Zero Tolerance magazine, published by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he accused Mr. El-Rufai of betrayal after bringing him into government.
According to the magazine, when asked about claims by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, that there is still a valid travel restriction on him to the U.S., Abubakar said he had been to the country on several occasions before the relocation of his family.
“The reason I always visited the US was because of my wife,” Abubakar, who was vice president between 1999 and 2007, said.
“She is no more in the US. So I don’t have compelling reason to visit the US now.”
But El-Rufai accused Abubakar of corruption saying the former vice president stayed away from the U.S. for fear of being arrested.
Premium Times asked Paul Ibe, Abubakar’s spokesperson, if his principal would be willing to give his consent for the release of his immigration status as stated by the U.S. government agency, and he said he would refer the question to the former vice president.
Efforts to get a response from Ibe after two weeks were unsuccessful as he failed to answer his calls or reply messages.
