August 30, 2026 | Washington, D.C., United States
Category: International News | Politics & Justice
Source: SUNTV Global Channel
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned that releasing certain records relating to allegations involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could potentially expose agents, informants and other individuals to threats or physical harm.
The warning was contained in a court filing submitted in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit before Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit was filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking access to records concerning allegations surrounding Tinubu and alleged heroin-trafficking activities in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.
Greenspan also sought Tinubu-related records from several U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and immigration authorities.
In its filing, the FBI argued that releasing certain information could expose individuals who participated in or assisted investigations to possible retaliation.
The bureau invoked FOIA Exemption 7(F), among other privacy-related exemptions, to justify withholding some information. The exemption permits agencies to withhold law-enforcement information where disclosure could reasonably be expected to endanger an individual’s life or physical safety.
According to the FBI, disclosure of names or other identifying information could potentially place certain individuals at risk.
The bureau further argued that some people identified in the records could regard the information as derogatory or incriminating, while individuals who provided information to investigators or participated in investigations could potentially face retaliation if their identities were revealed.
The filing followed an order by Judge Howell directing the FBI to provide an explanation for continuing to withhold the Tinubu-related records.
The court also permitted the agency to submit relevant records privately for judicial review as part of its consideration of the dispute.
The case has drawn attention because several U.S. agencies have previously faced criticism over delays in responding to requests for records relating to Tinubu.
Among the documents sought are records connected to a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving $460,000 associated with Tinubu, which was forfeited to the U.S. government.
The latest court filing does not establish that Tinubu committed drug-trafficking offences. The allegations remain matters of dispute and the court proceedings concern, among other issues, whether certain government records should be released under U.S. freedom-of-information law.
SUNTV GLOBAL CHANNEL will continue to follow developments in the case.
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