U.S. Court Announces New Date for Motion on Release of Tinubu’s Records with FBI, CIA, and Others.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., has scheduled a new date to address a motion concerning the release or withholding of President Bola Tinubu’s records by security agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
In 2022, anti-corruption campaigner Aaron Greenspan, in collaboration with Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin, submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the FBI to disclose Mr. Tinubu’s case files, particularly regarding his involvement in a narcotics-trafficking incident that led to him forfeiting $460,000 to the U.S. government in 1993.
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These files were expected to shed light on long-standing controversies surrounding Mr. Tinubu’s background, including discrepancies in his name, age, and gender upon entering the United States.
Although the FBI granted Mr. Greenspan’s request to release Mr. Tinubu’s records in September last year, totaling 2500 pages and scheduled for monthly release in batches of 500 pages, Mr. Tinubu vehemently opposed the move, citing potential adverse effects if the files were made public.
Despite Mr. Greenspan’s attempts to expedite the release of the FBI files before the Nigerian Supreme Court could rule on an electoral dispute challenging Mr. Tinubu’s victory, these efforts were unsuccessful.
In November 2023, Judge Beryl Howell permitted Mr. Tinubu to intervene and contest the release of his records, acknowledging his right to protect his interests, given his concerns about potential adverse effects.
On Thursday, June 6, Ms. Howell instructed both parties, Mr. Greenspan and Mr. Tinubu, to submit a joint status report by September 3, 2024, to update the court on any remaining disputes and propose a schedule for further proceedings.
