The court said it was neither “logical nor plausible” to keep the information confidential, given that the investigation into Tinubu had already been publicly acknowledged
By Titilope Adako
A United States District Court in Washington, D.C. has directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release documents linked to a drug-related investigation involving President Bola Tinubu dating back to the 1990s.
Presiding Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the agencies’ refusal to confirm or deny the existence of such records referred to as a “Glomar response” was no longer valid.
The court said it was neither “logical nor plausible” to keep the information confidential, given that the investigation into Tinubu had already been publicly acknowledged.
The ruling follows a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in June 2023 by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, who submitted 12 FOIA requests to six US government bodies: the FBI, DEA, IRS, CIA, Department of State, and the Executive Office for US Attorneys.
He sought documents connected to a heroin trafficking investigation involving Tinubu and others, including Abiodun Agbele and Mueez Akande.
The agencies initially declined to confirm or deny the existence of any records, prompting Greenspan to approach the court.
He argued that public interest warranted the release of the information, especially because Tinubu is Nigeria’s sitting president and has previously been linked to drug trafficking and money laundering cases.
As part of the court proceedings, a 1993 civil forfeiture complaint by the US Department of Justice in Illinois was cited. It sought to confiscate $460,000 from Tinubu’s accounts, which were allegedly linked to drug proceeds.
According to IRS Special Agent Kevin Moss, the accounts were flagged during a heroin trafficking investigation in Chicago involving Agbele and others.
While the judge ordered the FBI and DEA to release relevant records or provide valid reasons for continued withholding, the CIA was allowed to maintain its Glomar stance, as Greenspan failed to prove the agency had officially acknowledged having such documents.
The case remains open, with further submissions due by May 2 to resolve outstanding matters.
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