Tinubu’s 1990s drug trafficking case: US court orders FBI, DEA to release investigation records
A U.S. federal court has ordered the release of confidential records related to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a 1990s drug trafficking and money laundering investigation.
The ruling, issued by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, criticized U.S. agencies—the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—for unjustifiably withholding the documents.
The judge declared that the agencies’ refusal to confirm or deny the existence of the records, known as a “Glomar response,” was “neither logical nor plausible.”
The legal action was initiated by Aaron Greenspan, who invoked the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to compel the FBI, DEA, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to disclose materials regarding Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a heroin trafficking ring based in Chicago in the early 1990s.
Court documents filed in the case revealed that Tinubu was investigated by the FBI and DEA for his potential role in a money laundering operation connected to a Chicago-based heroin trafficking network. Additionally, in 1993, Tinubu allegedly forfeited $460,000, reportedly linked to proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
The court emphasized the importance of public transparency, noting that privacy concerns do not outweigh the public’s right to access this information in this case.
Furthermore, the CIA was granted relief, as there was insufficient evidence to prove it had any relevant records.
In response to the ruling, the FBI and DEA have been ordered to lift their Glomar responses and provide the requested documents.
The agencies are expected to deliver a joint report by May 2, 2025, to address any remaining issues related to the case.
