A U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has ordered top U.S. law enforcement agencies to release confidential records related to a 1990s investigation involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The ruling, issued by Judge Beryl Howell, follows a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by Aaron Greenspan, an American transparency advocate. Greenspan sought records from agencies including the FBI, DEA, IRS, CIA, and the Department of State.
Greenspan’s lawsuit, filed in June 2023, accused the agencies of violating FOIA by refusing to confirm or deny the existence of records tied to Tinubu and others allegedly involved in a Chicago heroin trafficking ring.
“Protecting the information from public disclosure is neither logical nor plausible,” Judge Howell stated in her ruling.
The court ordered the agencies to release records related to Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele, another individual named in Greenspan’s FOIA requests.
Presidency’s Responds
The Nigerian Presidency dismissed the ruling, stating that the information being sought has been in the public domain for decades and does not indict Tinubu.
“There is nothing new to be revealed,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Tinubu’s lawyers have also argued that the records fall under privacy protections and exemptions to FOIA.
Tinubu’s Alleged Forfeiture
In 1993, Tinubu reportedly forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government after authorities linked the funds to proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
The forfeiture became a focal point during Nigeria’s Presidential Election Petition Court hearings, where opponents Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the presidency. The court ultimately dismissed the challenges and affirmed Tinubu’s election.
Judge Howell’s decision allows Greenspan to narrow his FOIA requests to records specifically related to Tinubu and Agbele. The court has given the agencies until May 2 to report on the status of any outstanding issues.
While the ruling is a significant step in Greenspan’s transparency efforts, the decision is still subject to appeal.
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