A United States District Court in Washington, D.C., has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration to make public records relating to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The directive, issued by Judge Beryl Howell on Tuesday, followed a legal motion filed by American transparency advocate, Aaron Greenspan, who sought a review of an earlier decision that denied access to the documents.
Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, a website that promotes legal transparency, had accused the FBI of violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by withholding documents linked to alleged federal investigations into Tinubu and one Abiodun Agbele.
Judge Howell, in a scathing ruling, faulted the agencies’ justification for withholding the documents, describing the attempt to shield them from public disclosure as “neither logical nor plausible.”
“The agencies have not adequately shown that they properly invoked the FOIA exemptions,” the court stated.
This development revives long-standing controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a 1993 narcotics case, where he was said to have forfeited $460,000 to the United States government. US authorities had reportedly linked the funds to proceeds of drug trafficking.
The issue resurfaced during the 2023 Nigerian general elections, when opposition candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, challenged Tinubu’s eligibility at the Presidential Election Petition Court.
The petitioners cited the 1993 forfeiture as part of their arguments. However, the court dismissed the suits and affirmed Tinubu’s victory.
Tuesday’s ruling marks a partial win for Greenspan, who has consistently demanded transparency from US institutions over their handling of requests tied to politically exposed persons.
It remains unclear how soon the FBI and DEA will comply with the court order or what specific documents will be released. However, legal experts say the ruling could set a precedent for future FOIA-related disclosures involving foreign leaders.
As of press time, President Tinubu’s administration had yet to react to the court’s decision.
The development may spark renewed political debate within Nigeria, where questions about the President’s past have lingered despite multiple legal and electoral clearances.
Efforts to reach the US Embassy in Nigeria for comments on the ruling were unsuccessful.
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