The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have asked for 90 more days before they release documents connected to a drug-related investigation involving Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.
These records were supposed to be made public by May 2, 2025, following a court order by Judge Beryl Howell from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. However, in a recent update filed on May 1, both the FBI and DEA requested an extension to finish preparing the documents.
This development is part of a legal case filed in June 2023 by Aaron Greenspan, a transparency advocate in the U.S. He submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit asking several U.S. government agencies to release files linked to an old drug and money laundering case from the 1990s in Chicago that allegedly involves Tinubu and others.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted 12 different FOIA requests. These were sent to agencies like the FBI, DEA, IRS, U.S. State Department, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in Indiana and Illinois, and even the CIA. His goal is to get records connected to Tinubu and a few other individuals: Mueez Akande, Lee Andrew Edwards, and Abiodun Agbele.
In their most recent report to the court, the FBI and DEA said they’ve started looking for files that are legally allowed to be released. They also said it could take up to three more months to sort and prepare these documents.
“The FBI and DEA have begun their searches and expect to complete them in 90 days,” the agencies stated.
Aaron Greenspan disagrees with this timeline. He believes it’s just another excuse to stall the release and wants the court to step in. He said that some files have already been found and should be released immediately.
Greenspan wants the court to set a much shorter deadline. He asked that the agencies release any already-located files by next week and complete the rest within two weeks. He also pointed out that there’s been a long history of delays with these FOIA requests and that the agencies haven’t given a strong reason for asking for more time.
Now, it’s up to the court to decide if it will grant the extension or order a quicker release of the documents.
