Tinubu’s US records to be released, as court finds justification for non-disclosure lacking in merit
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Searches of investigative records on Bola Tinubu in the United States are ongoing and will be ready for release by July 31, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have told the District of Columbia Court which had ordered the release of the documents today, May 2.
The two agencies said they hope to complete the searches in 90 days and submit a joint report on or before July 31.
The documents are expected to close the running saga of the alleged historical involvement of the Nigerian President in drugs and other crimes in Yankee country which has dogged him for decades, and dominated the election campaign in 2023.
The court had on April 8 ordered both agencies to release the records following a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request by Aaron Greenspan, an American sleaze investigator.
Judge Beryl Howell ordered the FBI and DEA to release documents connected to a 1990s investigation of a drug case that involved Tinubu and others, over which Tinubu forfeited more $4,000 to the authorities.
Howell rejected the agencies’ use of “Glomar response” – a legal provision allowing them to neither confirm nor deny the existence of certain records.
The court found the justification for non-disclosure lacking in merit.
But in a joint status report on May 1, signed by Greenspan, U.S. attorney Edward Martin, Jr. and assistant attorney M. Jared Littman, the parties said the report was not ready.
The joint status report proposes a schedule to govern further proceedings.
It reads: “Pursuant to the court’s order …, the FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days.
“Based on the years-long delay already caused by defendants, and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or at least that the FBI and DEA produce unredacted versions of already-identified documents by next week, and the remainder of production in 14 days.
“Defendants provide no rationale whatsoever as to why their search for documents should take 90 days.
“Plaintiff intends to request his costs (the filing fee of $402.00 and $38.22 for Certified Mail postage, for a total of $440.22).
“Defendants propose that the parties submit a joint status report on or before July 31, 2025, to apprise the court as to the status of the case following the agencies’ search for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by plaintiff.
“Plaintiff proposes that they submit a joint status report on or before May 31, 2025.”
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