A U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has directed American law enforcement agencies to make public certain records tied to a decades-old investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Judge Beryl Howell issued the ruling on Tuesday, compelling the FBI and DEA to disclose documents related to a drug trafficking inquiry from the 1990s.
The court’s decision was prompted by a lawsuit filed in June 2023 by Aaron Greenspan, a U.S. citizen, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Greenspan had accused several federal agencies, including the FBI, CIA, IRS, DEA, and State Department, of withholding information about the alleged probe into Tinubu’s activities.
Reports indicate Greenspan’s FOIA requests, filed in 2022 and 2023, sought records concerning a joint investigation involving Tinubu and three other individuals, Abiodun Agbele, Lee Andrew Edwards, and Mueez Abegboyega Akande, linked to a heroin distribution network.
In response, the agencies issued “Glomar” replies, refusing to confirm or deny whether the requested records existed. Greenspan challenged this, asserting that the information should be public.
Judge Howell sided partially with him, calling the FBI and DEA’s denials implausible since they had previously acknowledged their investigations.
While the court ordered disclosures from the FBI and DEA, it upheld the CIA’s refusal, citing the agency’s lack of formal acknowledgement regarding such records.
The case also ties back to a 1993 forfeiture of $460,000 by Tinubu to the U.S. government, a sum allegedly connected to drug proceeds a controversy that resurfaced during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential race.
Though opponents raised concerns over his eligibility, Nigeria’s election tribunal upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Greenspan’s filings included details of a DEA investigation linking Tinubu’s financial accounts to narcotics proceeds through testimony provided by Agbele.
Judge Howell’s ruling now clears the way for the release of related documents, excluding those held by the CIA. The agencies are expected to update the court by May 2 on any unresolved matters.