A U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release documents related to past investigations involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and alleged drug trafficking activities.
In a ruling on April 8, 2025, Judge Beryl Howell directed both agencies to comply with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by U.S. citizen Aaron Greenspan, who had sought records concerning Tinubu and others linked to a 1990s heroin trafficking ring in Chicago. Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests across six federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, CIA, IRS, State Department, and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
Five of these agencies, including the FBI and DEA, had previously issued “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of the records. However, the court ruled these responses were unlawful and must be withdrawn.
Judge Howell noted that both the FBI and DEA had already confirmed investigations into Tinubu’s alleged involvement. She stated that the public’s interest in accessing these records outweighs any claimed privacy concerns.
“The FBI and DEA failed to show any valid reason to keep these records secret,” Howell ruled. “They have not demonstrated that any privacy interest exists that justifies withholding this information.”
In response, President Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, downplayed the court’s directive, saying the reports have been public for over 30 years and do not indict the president. He added that lawyers are currently reviewing the court’s decision.
