The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have warned that releasing some records linked to an investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could endanger lives and expose sensitive law-enforcement methods.
The warning was made in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking records from US agencies concerning an investigation dating to the 1990s.
The records reportedly relate to a Chicago drug-trafficking and money-laundering investigation involving Tinubu and three other individuals.
US District Judge Beryl Howell had previously ordered the FBI and DEA to search for and process records that were not exempt from disclosure. The judge said the government could not simply keep secret the fact that Tinubu had been a subject of an investigation after acknowledging that fact.
However, the FBI and DEA have argued that releasing unredacted records could expose confidential sources, investigative techniques and other sensitive information.
In a joint status report filed on May 1, 2026, the agencies reportedly requested an additional 90 days to complete their search and processing of the records.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has separately relied on a “Glomar” response, which allows an agency to refuse to confirm or deny the existence of records when doing so could harm national security or other protected interests.
The agencies have also raised privacy concerns relating to Tinubu and other individuals named in the requests.
The case stems from 12 FOIA requests filed by Greenspan between 2022 and 2023. The requests sought records concerning Tinubu, Mueez Akande, Lee Andrew Edwards and Abiodun Agbele.
US court records from the 1990s have previously documented a forfeiture involving Tinubu and about $460,000 in connection with a case concerning proceeds allegedly linked to heroin trafficking. Tinubu has denied wrongdoing in relation to the allegations.
The latest development does not mean that the records contain evidence of criminal conduct by Tinubu. It concerns whether records held by US government agencies can be released under FOIA and what information, if any, must remain protected.
The dispute therefore remains focused on the balance between public access to government records, individual privacy and the protection of law-enforcement sources and methods.
The FBI and DEA have not released the disputed records, and the court is yet to determine the final scope of any disclosure.
