FBI Admits Criminal Investigation Involving Tinubu in Heroin Trafficking Case — American Firm

A Washington-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has released portions of a sworn declaration filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a United States federal court, saying the document confirms that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the subject of a criminal investigation connected to heroin trafficking.

The firm said it received a large volume of records and is currently reviewing the documents, with plans to redact portions it considers necessary.

According to the firm, the FBI declaration was submitted to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on August 28, 2026, in the case of Aaron Greenspan v. Executive Office for United States Attorneys and Others, Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-1816.

Von Batten-Montague-York said the FBI’s sworn filing indicates that the court had previously determined that the criminal investigation of Tinubu had been officially acknowledged.

The firm further quoted the FBI as stating that the responsive records were “compiled in furtherance of the FBI’s investigation of multiple individuals for drug trafficking crimes.”

The firm interpreted the declaration as confirmation that Tinubu was criminally investigated in connection with heroin trafficking.

It said the document was being published to challenge claims that Tinubu had never been criminally investigated and that the withholding of related records was solely based on privacy protections.

“That claim is false as shown by the FBI’s sworn declaration,” the firm said.

However, the filing itself concerns the FBI’s handling of records sought through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and the legal basis for withholding certain information under law-enforcement exemptions. The declaration does not, by itself, establish that Tinubu was convicted of or charged with a drug-trafficking offence.

The declaration was signed by an Assistant Section Chief of the FBI’s Record and Information Dissemination Section, who also serves as acting section chief.

The official, based in Winchester, Virginia, has served as assistant section chief since March 2023 and acting section chief since June 2026. The official joined the FBI in February 1999 and has held several positions within the bureau, including international operations chief protocol officer, unit chief of the international protocol unit, program manager in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, protocol affairs specialist, research analyst and paralegal specialist.

The official currently supervises eight FBI headquarters units and two field operational service centre units.

According to the declaration, the Record and Information Dissemination Section is responsible for planning, developing, directing and managing responses to requests for FBI records under the FOIA, Privacy Act and related policies.

The official said the statements contained in the declaration were based on personal knowledge, including information obtained while serving in an official capacity.

The official also said their responsibilities provided familiarity with FBI procedures for processing FOIA and Privacy Act requests, including the handling of the requests at the centre of the Greenspan case.

The August 28 filing represents the FBI’s third declaration in the case and the official’s first declaration. It supplements earlier declarations filed on November 11, 2024, and February 13, 2026.

The latest declaration was submitted in support of the defendants’ motion for summary judgment and to address issues raised by Greenspan in his second motion.

Von Batten-Montague-York said it would continue reviewing the records obtained from the case and release additional portions where appropriate.