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Published by Unity Nicolas | ICC Reporting | 14th April, 2025 | USA | Federal Govt. | Metro | FBI | DEA |International Security | Nigeria News
A US District Court judge, Beryl Howell, has ordered top U.S. law enforcement agencies to release confidential documents generated during a “purported federal investigation in the 1990s” involving President Bola Tinubu. Judge Howell made the order on Tuesday, stating that protecting such information from public disclosure is “neither logical nor plausible.”
The ruling compels agencies including the FBI, DEA, and others to release previously withheld information. An American citizen, Aaron Greenspan, filed a lawsuit in June 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) against several federal agencies: the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), Department of State, FBI, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). - Advertisement -
Also Read : Catholic Priests Claim Tinubu’s Govt Plans to Arrest Bishop Anagbe After U.S. Human Rights Testimony Greenspan accused these agencies of violating the FOIA by failing to provide, within the statutory time, documents related to federal investigations into President Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan filed 12 FOIA requests with six federal agencies, seeking information on a joint investigation by the FBI, IRS, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern Districts of Indiana and Illinois.
He claimed the records involve decisions around criminal charges relating to the laundering of proceeds from a Chicago-based heroin ring in the early 1990s. In each request, Greenspan sought investigative records on four individuals allegedly connected to the drug ring: Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele. The agencies responded with “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of any records.
Greenspan appealed the decision to the Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP), which upheld the refusals.
BREAKING: ‘You Have a Case to Answer’ – Court Orders Disgraced DCP Abba Kyari, Co-Defendants to Defend Drug Trafficking Charges Subsequently, Greenspan filed a lawsuit on June 12, 2023, naming several agencies and challenging their responses. The CIA was later added as a defendant in an amended complaint.
On October 20, 2023, Greenspan filed an emergency motion to compel the agencies to release the records, citing the Nigerian Supreme Court’s impending hearing on the legality of Tinubu’s election.
The motion was denied on October 23, 2023, for not meeting the legal standard for emergency relief. On the same day, President Tinubu filed to intervene in the case, arguing that releasing the records would infringe on his privacy rights, particularly concerning confidential tax records and law enforcement documents protected under the Privacy Act and FOIA exemptions. In 1993, Tinubu reportedly forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government after authorities linked the funds to narcotics proceeds.
This forfeiture became a point of contention in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, but the election tribunal dismissed the legal challenges and upheld his victory. However, Judge Howell ruled partially in Greenspan’s favor. He found that the Glomar responses by the FBI and DEA were “improper and must be lifted,” asserting that the agencies failed to justify their use of FOIA exemptions. Howell emphasized that since Tinubu was acknowledged as a subject of the investigation, continued concealment of the records was “neither logical nor plausible.
” Why the FOIA Requests Were Valid In his judgment, Judge Howell explained that a FOIA requester can challenge a Glomar response in two ways: (1) by disputing the agency’s claim that acknowledging the existence of records would cause harm under a FOIA exemption, and (2) by showing that the agency has already disclosed the exempt information. Greenspan presented both arguments, claiming: The DEA has officially confirmed investigating Agbele. Both the FBI and DEA acknowledged probing Tinubu.
The public interest outweighs privacy concerns regarding Tinubu. The CIA has acknowledged having responsive records. The judge ruled in favor of the CIA, stating Greenspan failed to prove that the agency officially acknowledged the existence of any relevant records. Tinubu and Agbele’s Records Ordered for Release Five of Greenspan’s FOIA requests remain under cross-motions for summary judgment.
The plaintiff agreed to narrow the case to the agencies’ Glomar responses, redactions, and withholdings related only to Tinubu and Agbele. As such, the court ordered all parties—except the CIA—to file a joint status report by May 2, 2025, detailing any unresolved issues. How the Drug Ring Was Busted and Linked to Tinubu
As part of his evidence, Greenspan submitted a verified complaint and affidavit filed in the Northern District of Illinois in July 1993.
These documents supported a civil forfeiture request targeting Tinubu’s funds held at First Heritage Bank.
The affidavit by IRS Special Agent Kevin Moss detailed drug activities involving Agbele and linked Tinubu’s funds to money laundering.
According to DEA agents, Agbele arrived in the U.S. and identified Akande (connected to Tinubu) as his uncle, who provided him housing. DEA records showed Agbele sold heroin multiple times and was eventually arrested after an undercover sting.
He cooperated with law enforcement after his arrest. The affidavit confirmed that both the FBI and DEA had investigated Tinubu in connection to the broader probe.
Authorities found probable cause that Tinubu’s bank accounts were tied to transactions involving proceeds of heroin trafficking, based on investigations by the IRS, DEA, and FBI.
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