Video of how man Tinubu introduced as classmate in Chicago was dragged out of Congo for alleged gun running
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In a stunning international development, a man identified as Alex Popkov, a Belarusian national once introduced by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “his classmate in Chicago,” has been expelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over alleged involvement in an arms trafficking network.
According to security sources in Kinshasa, Popkov was apprehended last week following a joint DRC-MONUSCO operation targeting foreign operatives suspected of supplying weapons to rebel factions in eastern Congo. He was reportedly caught coordinating logistics between private arms dealers in Eastern Europe and militia leaders operating near Goma.
Popkov first made headlines in Nigeria in 2023 when President Tinubu publicly introduced him during a televised event, referring to him as “my old friend and classmate from Chicago State.” The introduction sparked controversy amid lingering questions over Tinubu’s academic records and foreign associations.
The DRC’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that Popkov was escorted under heavy guard to N’Djili International Airport late Monday and placed on a commercial flight to Istanbul en route to Minsk.
Nigerian opposition figures are now demanding a full inquiry into Tinubu’s relationship with Popkov, citing national security concerns.
No official comment has been made by the Nigerian presidency as of press time.
Developing story.
