U.S. Agencies Set to Release Files Tied to Bola Tinubu Investigation
A group of major U.S. federal agencies is expected to release a series of documents this Friday, May 2, 2025, following a court order linked to an old drug-related case that has drawn renewed attention.
These documents reportedly involve Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and date back to a decades-old investigation. Agencies set to disclose the records include the FBI, IRS, DEA, State Department, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The CIA, while named, was excluded from the order to release records at this stage.
The release follows a ruling by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., who pushed back against the agencies’ initial refusal to share the documents. Her response was firm: withholding the information, she said, didn’t hold up to reason.
Behind the Legal Push
The request for the files stems from a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by U.S. citizen Aaron Greenspan. Greenspan, who filed the suit in 2023, asked for documents tied to a series of federal probes from the 1990s. These investigations were believed to have focused on a suspected drug trafficking operation and included names such as Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted a dozen formal requests to various agencies, including those handling criminal, financial, and intelligence records.
What the Nigerian Government Says
Officials from Nigeria have dismissed the lawsuit as old news being recycled. According to them, the documents in question contain no revelations that implicate President Tinubu in any crime or misconduct.
Legal experts in Washington have also weighed in, noting that while the court has ordered the release, the agencies still have the option to appeal or request extensions.
What’s Next
With the deadline fast approaching, public attention is turning toward what—if anything—these records will reveal. Whether they contain significant details or simply confirm what’s already known, the coming release has stirred curiosity across both sides of the Atlantic.
