Disclosing Tinubu’s Records Could Endanger His Life, Reveal Our Investigative Techniques — FBI Tells US Court

• The FBI had said it could not disclose on the public record the full reasons behind its decision to withhold some of the requested information
• According to FBI, releasing some of the information could expose law enforcement techniques and procedures used in investigations
• The FBI’s latest motion now seeks permission to privately explain to the court why some of the records should remain withheld

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., for permission to submit a confidential declaration explaining why it withheld certain records relating to investigations involving President Bola Tinubu.

In a motion dated August 20, 2026, the FBI asked the court to allow it to file the declaration ex parte and in camera, meaning the document would be submitted privately to the judge and not made available to the other parties or the public.

The agency said it could not disclose on the public record the full reasons behind its decision to withhold some of the requested information.

The application was made in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, an American legal information platform.

A copy of the FBI’s application was shared on X by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm recently hired by former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

FBI Cites Security and Investigative Concerns

The FBI said it had relied on several FOIA exemptions, including Exemptions 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E) and 7(F), in responding to Greenspan’s requests for records concerning Tinubu.

According to the agency, releasing some of the information could expose law enforcement techniques and procedures used in investigations.

It also argued that disclosure could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of an individual.

The FBI said one of the requests, identified as Request Number 1588244-000, sought the entire FBI file relating to Tinubu.

Another request, numbered 1593615-000, sought FBI Form 302 interview records involving Tinubu in connection with FBI Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU during the period between 1992 and 1993.

The agency said it could not provide the full basis for its reliance on FOIA Exemptions 7(E) and 7(F) publicly.

It therefore asked the court to permit it to submit a sealed declaration detailing those reasons.

If the request is granted, the FBI said it would submit the declaration before August 28.

Case Centres on 1990s Drug Investigation

The case stems from a series of FOIA requests filed by Greenspan in 2022 and 2023 with six US federal agencies.

The requests sought records relating to criminal investigations into a Chicago heroin ring that operated in the early 1990s.

Greenspan requested investigative records concerning four individuals whom he alleged were connected to the drug ring. They include Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande and Abiodun Agbele.

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) and Department of State were initially named as defendants. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was later added to the case.

Five of the agencies initially responded to Greenspan’s requests with what is known as a Glomar response, refusing to confirm or deny whether the requested records existed.

Greenspan challenged the responses before the US Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP), but the office upheld the agencies’ position.

He subsequently filed a lawsuit on June 12, 2023, challenging the agencies’ refusal to confirm or deny the existence of the records.

Judge Previously Rejected FBI, DEA Responses

In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the Glomar responses issued by the FBI and DEA were improper and should be lifted.

Howell held that the agencies had failed to provide sufficient evidence showing that a legitimate privacy interest existed in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu had allegedly been a subject of a criminal investigation.

The judge also found that the FBI and DEA had not adequately demonstrated the burden of maintaining their refusal to confirm or deny the existence of the records.

The latest FBI application is part of the continuing legal battle over the requested documents.

The development comes after the US Department of Justice recently sought an additional 10 days to respond to a court order concerning the release of records connected to allegations of drug trafficking involving Tinubu.

Judge Howell granted only four additional days, setting August 21 as the deadline.

Tinubu’s legal team subsequently joined the DOJ’s request for a further 10-day extension, but Howell reportedly declined the President’s request.

The FBI’s latest motion now seeks permission to privately explain to the court why some of the records should remain withheld.