A U.S. federal judge has ordered the FBI and DEA to release documents related to past investigations involving Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and a suspected drug trafficking network that operated in Chicago during the early 1990s. The ruling was issued on April 8 by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, following a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by Aaron Greenspan, founder of the legal transparency website PlainSite.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan filed multiple FOIA requests seeking information about a narcotics ring reportedly involving Tinubu and three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele. The case has attracted renewed attention due to President Tinubu’s position and previous reports linking him to financial transactions under scrutiny during that era. The FBI and DEA initially refused to confirm or deny the existence of such documents — a legal position known as a Glomar response. However, Judge Howell ruled that the agencies must comply, stating that the public interest in transparency outweighs the privacy interests of the individuals involved, particularly given Tinubu’s role as Nigeria’s head of state.
The ruling mandates the release of responsive documents within a specified timeframe, although portions may still be redacted for national security or investigative reasons. In 1993, Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to U.S. authorities following a civil asset forfeiture case linked to narcotics proceeds — a case that has continued to stir controversy in Nigerian political discourse. Tinubu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating that the funds in question were related to tax issues, not criminal activity. Responding to the latest U.S. court ruling, the Nigerian presidency dismissed the development, saying the documents contain “no new revelations” and emphasizing that President Tinubu has never been convicted of any crime.
Tinubu, who was elected president in May 2023, has faced repeated questions over the decades-old allegations, but this is the first time a U.S. court has directed law enforcement agencies to release records explicitly connected to him. Legal experts say the release of the documents could shape public perception and international relations, particularly if any new evidence emerges regarding Tinubu’s past associations.
