Two CSU ‘Classmates’: Tinubu and Zingman’s Troubling Criminal Footprint in Africa

A growing controversy engulfs Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Belarusian businessman Alexander Zingman. African observers raise concerns over their alleged criminal connections and a shared academic affiliation with Chicago State University (CSU).

Both men, identified as CSU alumni, have drawn intense scrutiny in recent years for their respective roles in high-profile scandals that cross international borders and tap into Africa’s most persistent issues: corruption, arms/drug trafficking, and political violence.

Zingman’s Opaque Dealings and Belarusian Network

Alexander Zingman’s emergence in Nigeria is closely tied to a growing Belarusian diplomatic and commercial presence. Just 11 months before Zingman’s activities became public, Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, met with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus. The meeting celebrated awarding scholarships to 20 Nigerian students under the Renewed Hope Initiative, a program championed by the First Lady.

Behind this seemingly benevolent gesture, deeper geopolitical and commercial interests are at play. Lukashenko urged Oluremi to request that President Tinubu facilitate a visit from Belarus’s foreign minister to Nigeria, aiming to strengthen collaboration in agriculture, food processing, industry, and education.

Amid this diplomatic engagement, Tinubu controversially awarded a $70 million contract to a ‘foreign company’ to supply 2,000 contractors, drawing outrage from local manufacturers who condemned the move as a violation of Tinubu’s own “Nigeria first policy.” Investigations suggest that Zingman’s Belarusian network played a significant role in brokering or benefiting from this contract, raising questions about transparency and local economic impact.

Zingman’s Arrest in the DRC

In March 2021, Alexander Zingman was arrested by authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on suspicion of involvement in illegal arms deals. According to reports from Daily Maverick and international watchdogs, Zingman was detained in Kinshasa alongside his business associate Oleg Vodchits. The pair was suspected of facilitating arms transactions in conflict zones, including in Sudan and Mozambique.

Though released without formal charges after two weeks, Zingman’s reputation as a shadowy middleman in Eastern European and African weapons deals has continued to grow. He has been identified as the honorary consul of Belarus in Zimbabwe and is allegedly associated with close ties to the African strongmen network.

Tinubu’s Controversial Past Resurfaces

President Tinubu has long claimed to be a graduate of CSU, a credential that helped bolster his political image. However, the academic record has since been subjected to intense scrutiny. In 2023, following a U.S. court order, CSU released records that raised questions about discrepancies in Tinubu’s name, gender markers, and credentials.

Adding fuel to the fire,  Tinubu had introduced Zingman as his classmate, an association that many now say ties the Nigerian leader directly to an individual previously detained over arms trafficking.

Further complicating Tinubu’s legacy are resurfaced reports, from journalist David Hundeyin, linking him to a 1993 U.S. court forfeiture of $460,000, derived from narcotics proceeds. Though Tinubu was not criminally indicted, the civil case and money trail have cast a long shadow over his political career domestically and abroad.

Shared Alma Mater, Shared Controversies

What unites both men beyond the headlines is their alleged shared history at Chicago State University, an institution now facing unwanted attention due to the profile and behaviour of some of its most well-known supposed alumni.

Public distrust has spilt over into online discourse, with many Nigerians and other Africans questioning how individuals with such checkered pasts could claim academic legitimacy from a U.S. university.

Tinubu and Zingman might not share a business, but their stories raise similar concerns of corruption, impunity, and the export of elite criminality into Africa, and CSU has become the strange thread linking them.

Institutional Silence and Regional Fallout

Chicago State University has not commented on Zingman’s alleged enrollment or Tinubu’s controversial alumni status, citing U.S. privacy laws. Still, CSU’s name continues to appear in African and diaspora media as public confidence in certain institutions and leaders erodes.

For many Africans, especially Nigerians, the scandal is not just about two men; it’s about the unchecked rise of foreign-educated elites whose paths to power are paved by false credentials, murky money, and dangerous global alliances.

As President Tinubu faces increasing domestic pressure over insecurity, economic collapse, and credibility concerns, the reemergence of his ties to Zingman and CSU may deepen public concern. Meanwhile, Zingman remains under the radar, with his business interests in Africa reportedly still active.

What is clear is that the connections between power, education, and transnational criminality are now under closer watch than ever, especially when two men at the centre of controversy claim to have walked the same American campus.

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