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President Bola Tinubu has asked a United States court to prevent the release of FBI and DEA records linked to allegations of drug trafficking.
Tinubu argued that disclosing the documents would violate his privacy rights.
The records are being sought by American activist Aaron Greenspan, who filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against several US agencies seeking documents from investigations involving Tinubu, according to court documents shared with Channels Television by the president’s legal team.
Greenspan’s requests include the FBI’s complete file on Tinubu and interview records from 1992 to 1993, as well as records tied to a civil forfeiture proceeding in the United States involving about $460,000 linked to Tinubu.
Tinubu has denied any wrongdoing.
In a 16-page filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Tinubu’s legal team argued that releasing the records would infringe on his privacy.
“Submitted in that proceeding, did not reveal the details of a possible criminal investigation (or its results) involving Intervenor. Other than by speculation or labels, Plaintiff does not point to an existing public record that contains details of a governmental criminal investigation or findings about Intervenor,” the filing said.
The filing also noted that “an individual still retains a privacy interest in the details that remain undisclosed” and that “an individual retains a privacy interest even if they were previously publicly associated with criminal activity.”
Tinubu’s lawyers also argued that “Regardless of the prior disclosure in the forfeiture proceeding, Intervenor retains a privacy interest in potential disclosure of the investigative files sought by Plaintiff.”
The dispute has drawn attention to documents still held by US authorities.
An American missionary, Alex Barbir, has called on President Donald Trump to release the records, warning that continued concealment could make US officials “complicit in the killing of Nigerians.”
Greenspan’s requests include the FBI’s entire file on Tinubu and FBI Form 302 interview records from 1992 to 1993.
The case has been pending since 2023, with no final ruling on the merits of the remaining requests issued.
