US Court Orders FBI, DEA to Release Records on Tinubu’s Alleged Drug Trafficking Investigation

A U.S. District Court has directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to search for and release non-exempt records regarding an alleged criminal investigation involving Nigeria’s incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The ruling was issued by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 8, following Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted by American researcher Aaron Greenspan between 2022 and 2023. Greenspan’s requests focused on a Chicago-based drug trafficking ring from the early 1990s, explicitly naming Tinubu and three others. Both agencies had initially issued Glomar responses—refusing to confirm or deny the existence of such records. However, the court rejected those responses—citing a compelling public interest in the release of information. While the court upheld the CIA’s refusal, it ordered the FBI and DEA to comply and provide a joint status report by May 2, 2025. The ruling marks a significant legal turn in a long-standing matter tied to Nigeria’s incumbent president.