The Federal Government of Nigeria has responded to reports that a U.S. District Court ordered top American anti-drug agencies to release documents relating to a purported federal investigation involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 1990s.
The reaction was issued on Sunday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, following widespread media coverage of the court’s ruling.
According to Premium Times, the case originated from a suit filed in June 2023 by U.S. citizen Aaron Greenspan under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The suit targeted multiple American law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Mr. Greenspan alleged that the agencies violated FOIA by failing to release, within the legally mandated timeframe, documents linked to supposed federal investigations into President Tinubu and one Abiodun Agbele.
All five agencies reportedly declined to confirm or deny whether the requested records exist. However, on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled partly in favor of Greenspan, stating that the “Glomar responses” invoked by the FBI and DEA were improper and should be lifted.
The case has drawn renewed attention, as it coincides with the aftermath of legal disputes over the 2023 presidential election.
Judge Howell further ruled that the FBI and DEA did not sufficiently justify their refusal to disclose the requested records under FOIA exemptions.
Federal Government Reacts
In response, Onanuga insisted that there is nothing new to uncover, reiterating that the matter had been in the public domain for decades.
Posting via Facebook, he wrote:
“Journalists have sought the President’s reaction to the ruling last Tuesday by a Washington, D.C. judge ordering the US FBI and DEA to release reports connected with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Our response is as follows:
There is nothing new to be revealed. The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report have been in the public space for more than 30 years. The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader.”
He added that the Federal Government’s legal team is currently reviewing the U.S. court decision.
Background to the Controversy
The alleged investigation involving Tinubu resurfaced during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, where opposition parties, including Peter Obi’s legal team, claimed that Tinubu’s past forfeiture of $460,000 to U.S. authorities over suspected drug proceeds should disqualify him from the presidency.
The Tribunal, however, dismissed the matter, ruling that the forfeiture did not constitute a criminal conviction. The case proceeded to the Supreme Court, which upheld Tinubu’s victory and rejected the petitioners’ arguments for lacking merit.
Despite the renewed focus brought by the U.S. court order, Nigerian authorities maintain that the matter is resolved and contains no new revelations.
