The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has mandated that key U.S. law enforcement agencies release confidential information related to President Bola Tinubu stemming from a purported federal investigation in the 1990s. The ruling, delivered by Judge Beryl Howell, challenges the agencies’ claims that such information should remain undisclosed, stating that their rationale is “neither logical nor plausible.”
The order follows a lawsuit filed by American citizen Aaron Greenspan in June 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Greenspan accused various agencies—including the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—of failing to release documents related to investigations involving President Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele.
Greenspan’s legal action is rooted in a series of FOIA requests made between 2022 and 2023, seeking information on a joint investigation by the FBI, IRS, DEA, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices concerning a Chicago-based heroin ring active in the early 1990s. The requests specifically named Tinubu and others associated with the drug ring, alleging involvement in money laundering activities.
In response to these requests, the agencies issued “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of the requested records. Following a series of unsuccessful appeals, Greenspan escalated the matter to court, ultimately leading to Judge Howell’s recent ruling.
On October 20, 2023, Greenspan filed an emergency motion to expedite the release of the records, citing an impending Nigerian Supreme Court hearing related to Tinubu’s 2023 presidential election. However, this motion was denied three days later, as the court found it did not meet the requirements for emergency relief.
In a notable turn, President Tinubu sought to intervene in the case, asserting his privacy rights concerning “confidential tax records” and documents protected under the Privacy Act. The judge’s ruling partly favored Greenspan, stating that the FBI and DEA’s Glomar responses were improper, as it was acknowledged that Tinubu was indeed a subject of the investigation.
Judge Howell emphasized that the public interest in the release of information concerning the investigation outweighed any privacy concerns. Furthermore, he indicated that the CIA’s Glomar response would remain intact, as Greenspan failed to demonstrate that the agency had officially acknowledged any records related to his request.
The court’s decision has reignited discussions about Tinubu’s past, particularly a 1993 incident where he reportedly forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government, linked to narcotics trafficking. This issue was a focal point during the recent presidential election, where Tinubu’s opponents challenged his eligibility based on these allegations, but the election court ultimately affirmed his victory.
As the case progresses, the remaining parties, excluding the CIA, are required to file a joint report by May 2, detailing the status of outstanding issues related to the FOIA requests. This ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing scrutiny of President Tinubu’s past and its implications for his current leadership in Nigeria.
Culled from Premiume Times
