Alleged Drug Trafficking: FBI Explains Why Tinubu’s Records Can’t Be Released

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked a federal court to allow it to withhold portions of records relating to an old investigation linked to President Bola Tinubu, citing concerns over law-enforcement techniques and the safety of individuals.

In a motion filed on August 20 at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the FBI requested permission to submit additional explanations to the judge privately and under seal. The agency said making the details public could reveal sensitive investigative procedures or information capable of exposing individuals to physical danger.

The dispute arose from Freedom of Information Act requests seeking FBI records connected to Tinubu, including the bureau’s files and interview reports, known as Form 302s, relating to an investigation from 1992 and 1993. The FBI said it relied on several FOIA exemptions to withhold portions of the documents, including provisions protecting personal privacy, confidential sources, investigative techniques and individuals’ safety.

The agency argued that its public filings could not fully explain its reliance on exemptions 7(E) and 7(F) without disclosing the very information it seeks to protect. It therefore wants to submit a sealed declaration for the judge to review ex parte and in camera, meaning privately and without public disclosure.

The case was filed by Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, who has sought government records relating to a Chicago-based heroin trafficking investigation dating back to the early 1990s. Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests to six federal agencies concerning four individuals, including Tinubu.

Several agencies initially declined to confirm whether records existed, a position known as a Glomar response under US law. Greenspan challenged the decisions, and in April 2025, Judge Beryl Howell ruled against the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration’s continued use of the response, finding that the agencies had not sufficiently established a legal basis for concealing the existence of records concerning Tinubu.

The latest FBI filing comes amid a continuing legal dispute over access to the records. The agency said that, if permitted by the court, it would file the confidential declaration by August 28.

The development has also attracted political attention after the filing was publicised on X by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm recently engaged by African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.