The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., has scheduled a new date to review a motion regarding the release or withholding of President Bola Tinubu’s records held by U.S. security agencies, including the FBI and CIA.
In 2022, anti-corruption advocate Aaron Greenspan and Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin filed a FOIA request to obtain Mr. Tinubu’s case files from the FBI, focusing on his involvement in a 1993 narcotics-trafficking case that led to a $460,000 forfeiture to the U.S. government.
The requested files are also expected to clarify long-standing questions about Mr. Tinubu’s background, including his name, age, and gender at the time of his entry into the United States.
Last September, the FBI approved Mr. Greenspan’s request, agreeing to release 2,500 pages of Mr. Tinubu’s records in monthly batches of 500 pages starting in October 2023.
However, Mr. Tinubu strongly opposed the release, arguing in court that making the files public would “adversely affect” him.
Mr. Greenspan’s attempt to expedite the release of the FBI files before the Nigerian Supreme Court ruled on the electoral dispute regarding Mr. Tinubu’s victory was unsuccessful.
In November 2023, Judge Beryl Howell allowed Mr. Tinubu to intervene and challenge the release of his records, citing his right to protect his interests due to the potential adverse impact.
On Thursday, June 6, Judge Howell instructed the opposing parties (Greenspan and Tinubu) to submit a joint status report by September 3, 2024, to update the court on any remaining disputes and propose a schedule for further proceedings.
“Upon consideration of the parties’ joint status report, the parties are directed to submit another joint status report by September 3, 2024, advising the court whether any disputes remain between the parties, and if so, proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings,” Judge Howell stated on Thursday.
