Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is asking a U.S. federal court to prevent the release of records held by American law enforcement agencies concerning historical investigations involving him, according to court filings and his attorneys.
Tinubu’s lawyers — Christopher W. Carmichael, Victor P. Henderson and Oluwole O. Afolabi — said the documents should either remain withheld or be released only with redactions.
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In a 16-page filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the legal team opposed a request from American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan for records held by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Greenspan sued several U.S. government agencies under the Freedom of Information Act in 2023, seeking documents connected to historical investigations involving Tinubu.
His requests include the FBI’s complete file on Tinubu, as well as FBI Form 302 interview records covering the period from 1992 to 1993.
The dispute also involves documents related to a 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States involving approximately $460,000 associated with Tinubu.
Tinubu has denied wrongdoing.
In the new filing, his attorneys said releasing the records could infringe on his privacy rights. They argued that the disclosure of certain material during the earlier forfeiture proceedings did not publicly reveal the details or outcome of any alleged criminal investigation.
The lawyers asked the court to reject Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and permit the FBI and DEA to continue withholding the records or issuing redactions.
The filing adds another chapter to Greenspan’s protracted effort to obtain U.S. government documents concerning Tinubu.
Greenspan submitted FOIA requests in 2022 and 2023 seeking records tied to a historical investigation that dates to the late 1980s and early 1990s. In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA could no longer use so-called “Glomar” responses, which allow agencies to refuse to confirm or deny whether requested records exist.
Howell directed the agencies to process records responsive to Greenspan’s requests unless they were exempt from disclosure. Her ruling did not find that Tinubu had committed a drug-trafficking offense, nor did it constitute a criminal conviction. Instead, the decision addressed the agencies’ responsibilities under FOIA and whether the documents could legally remain undisclosed.
Earlier this month, the FBI asked the court to allow it to provide sensitive information privately and under seal to support its decision to withhold parts of the requested records.
The agency said some material fell under FOIA exemptions involving personal privacy, confidential sources, law enforcement methods and information that could reasonably be expected to put someone’s life or physical safety at risk.
Anadolu previously reported that Tinubu had joined a request from the U.S. Justice Department seeking more time to respond to court orders related to the records. Judge Howell rejected the full extension requested by the government. Anadolu reported Aug. 19 that the court had established a deadline for responses from the government and Tinubu.
The latest submission puts Tinubu directly into the legal contest over whether more records related to the historical investigations should be made public.
The court must now decide whether the FBI and DEA can preserve their redactions and withholdings, or whether additional documents sought by Greenspan will have to be released.
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