A U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has ordered the FBI and DEA to release documents tied to a decades-old drug trafficking investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The decision, issued by Judge Beryl Howell on April 8, 2025, follows lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, founder of the public records site PlainSite. Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests seeking documents related to a 1990s Chicago drug case. Tinubu, along with Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele, was reportedly connected to the investigation.
Initially, both agencies responded with “Glomar” statements—refusing to confirm or deny whether any such records exist. However, the court rejected that stance, ordering the FBI and DEA to carry out proper searches and release any non-exempt records.
Judge Howell stressed that the public’s right to know outweighs any privacy concerns in this case, especially since both agencies have already acknowledged Tinubu’s connection to the probe.
“The FBI and DEA have officially confirmed investigations of Tinubu related to the drug trafficking ring,” the court stated. “They have failed to justify their refusal to confirm or deny the existence of records.”
The CIA, however, was allowed to maintain its Glomar response, as Greenspan had previously acknowledged the agency’s possession of relevant documents.
The FBI and DEA must report back to the court on their progress by May 2, 2025.
