US judge grants FBI request to review Tinubu files in private
A Washington-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has claimed that a U.S. federal court has taken a new step in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case seeking the release of alleged drug-trafficking records linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In an update posted on X, the firm said it had been informed that Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this morning granted the FBI permission to submit the documents to the court privately, for in-camera review.
According to the post, the judge has given the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and President Tinubu until August 28, 2026, “and no later,” to file their opposition to the release of the records. The firm described the “and no later” language as a sign that the court has reached its limit.
The post reads: “We have now been informed that @uscourts Judge Howell this morning granted the @FBI permission to provide the court with the documents in private…
“This has not yet been published on the court docket as of this evening, and the claim is based solely on the law firm’s X post. Meta AI has not independently verified the August 28 date.”
Background
The case stems from FOIA requests filed by American Aaron Greenspan between 2022 and 2023 seeking records from the FBI, DEA, IRS and other agencies relating to a 1990s Chicago heroin trafficking investigation.
In April 2025, Judge Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA’s use of a “Glomar response” — neither confirming nor denying the existence of such records — was “neither logical nor plausible” after the agencies had already officially confirmed investigations relating to Tinubu.
Judge Howell ordered the agencies to release non-exempt documents, noting that privacy interests were outweighed by public interest. The investigation is linked to a 1993 civil forfeiture in which $460,000 in funds connected to Tinubu were forfeited to the U.S. government. Tinubu was not criminally charged and has consistently described the matter as a civil settlement.
Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., which public filings show was hired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in March 2026 to “protect and strengthen his reputational standing” in the U.S, made two additional claims in its post:
The firm claims the FBI has now admitted it holds “highly sensitive drug-trafficking-related information” about President Tinubu, and that seeking private review is standard procedure for protecting informants.
The post contrasts the DOJ under President Joe Biden, which it says blocked and stonewalled, with the DOJ under President Donald Trump, which it says is “moving fast and being transparent.”
The firm repeats an unverified allegation that President Tinubu “ratted out his alleged co-drug traffickers in exchange for immunity.” No U.S. court has found Tinubu to have been an informant, and that allegation has not been confirmed by the FBI or DOJ.
The firm also thanked President Trump and White House senior staff for moving the case forward.
If the claim is accurate, the in-camera review would allow Judge Howell to privately assess whether the documents are exempt from release under FOIA, particularly exemptions that protect law enforcement sources and methods, before issuing a final order on public disclosure.
The FBI, DEA and DOJ have previously requested additional time to compile and review records. President Tinubu’s U.S. counsel has not publicly commented on this latest alleged order.
