Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu could be arrested or restricted during his attendance at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Ibrahim said the Nigerian Mission to the UN had received no communication from the United States government suggesting that Tinubu would face any restriction on his movement or be subjected to legal action while attending the General Assembly.

The ambassador made the clarification amid renewed social media discussions over allegations concerning Tinubu’s past in the United States and claims that the President could face arrest during his proposed visit for the UNGA.

According to Ibrahim, representatives of UN member states enjoy specific protections under Section 11 of the 1947 UN-US Headquarters Agreement.

He explained that the agreement provides protection against impediments to representatives of member states and their families travelling to and from the UN headquarters district for official business.

Ibrahim said the protection also extends to UN officials, officials of specialised agencies and other persons invited to the UN headquarters district on official assignments.

He therefore dismissed suggestions that Tinubu could be arrested while participating in the General Assembly, describing such claims as unfounded.

“Social media cannot criminalise or arrest President Bola Tinubu, no matter how much the opposition invested in it, those efforts will only end as an exercise in futility. He has immunity from arrest in US during UNGA,” Ibrahim said.

The Nigerian envoy also referred to the potential consequences of unsuccessful prosecution in sensitive criminal matters, noting that where a conviction cannot be secured, substantial compensation could arise.

His comments come as political debates surrounding Tinubu’s planned participation in the UN General Assembly intensify, with supporters and opponents of the President trading claims over the legal implications of his presence in the United States.

The 81st UN General Assembly will bring together world leaders and senior government officials in New York to deliberate on global security, development and other international issues.