The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have requested a 90-day extension to release documents related to a decades-old drug investigation allegedly involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The request, submitted Thursday in a joint status report to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is part of a legal battle launched by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, founder of the public records platform PlainSite.
Greenspan filed multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests between 2022 and 2023 seeking access to documents linked to a 1990s Chicago drug ring, allegedly involving Tinubu and three other individuals: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
In the filing, the FBI and DEA said they have begun searching for responsive, non-exempt, and reasonably segregable records, but need additional time to complete the process.
“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches… and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days,” the joint report stated, in compliance with an April 8, 2025 order by Judge Beryl Howell.
Greenspan, however, has opposed the delay, arguing that the agencies have already caused “years-long” holdups and that some relevant documents have already been identified. He urged the court to compel immediate release of unredacted files within a week, and full disclosure of the rest within two weeks.
“The defendants provide no rationale for why their search should take 90 more days,” Greenspan stated in his objection.
Previously, both agencies issued “Glomar responses”—neither confirming nor denying the existence of any related documents. But the court ruled that such responses were inappropriate and ordered the agencies to proceed with full or partial disclosures where applicable.
Greenspan is also seeking reimbursement of $440.22 in legal fees and certified mail costs related to the FOIA proceedings.
The timing of the next court update is now also contested: while the FBI and DEA propose a July 31, 2025 status report deadline, Greenspan has asked the court to set it for May 31, 2025.
President Tinubu has consistently denied any links to criminal activity in the United States. Nonetheless, the case has renewed public interest in his financial history and past associations, amid growing calls for transparency from international observers and Nigerian civil society.
So far, the Tinubu administration has not issued a public statement regarding the latest court developments.
