A U.S. court has ordered FBI and DEA to release President Tinubu’s files in a controversial drug case. Find out what the judge revealed. Read full.
A U.S. Federal Judge Slams Law Enforcement Agencies, Says Their Defense Is “Neither Logical Nor Plausible”
A dramatic legal development has reignited global attention on Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has ordered two major American law enforcement agencies—the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—to release confidential records involving Tinubu.
The ruling, handed down by Judge Beryl Howell on Tuesday, followed a motion filed by Aaron Greenspan, an American citizen who accused the agencies of breaching the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Greenspan specifically sought information on alleged federal investigations into President Tinubu and one Abiodun Agbele.
In a scathing judgment, Judge Howell described the agencies’ refusal to release the documents as unjustified, stating that the claim to protect the records under the so-called “Glomar response” is “neither logical nor plausible.” The Glomar response allows U.S. agencies to neither confirm nor deny the existence of records if doing so would reveal classified or sensitive information.
However, Judge Howell ruled that both the FBI and DEA failed to validly invoke the FOIA exemptions and had no basis to continue withholding the documents. According to her, it was already on record that Tinubu was involved in an investigation relating to a drug trafficking ring—rendering the secrecy claims void.
“The claim that the Glomar responses were necessary to protect this information from public disclosure is at this point neither logical nor plausible,” the judge ruled.
In the same case, the judge acknowledged Greenspan’s assertion that:
The DEA had officially confirmed investigations into Agbele’s role in a drug ring.
Both the FBI and DEA had officially acknowledged Tinubu’s involvement in investigations related to the same trafficking ring.
The public interest in the release of these documents outweighed any privacy concerns.
The CIA had also acknowledged responsive records linked to the FOIA request about Tinubu.
This ruling has raised fresh dust over President Tinubu’s 1993 forfeiture of $460,000 to U.S. authorities—a case widely reported to be linked to proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
That forfeiture featured prominently during the 2023 presidential election tribunal, where candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to run for Nigeria’s highest office. Despite the allegations, the election petition court dismissed their suits and upheld Tinubu’s election.
Meanwhile, many Nigerians and international observers are keenly awaiting the actual release of the files, which could have political and diplomatic implications.
This latest development has sparked renewed debates about transparency, public accountability, and the true extent of Tinubu’s past legal entanglements.
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