Tinubu Challenges US Court Bid to Release Alleged Drug Trafficking Records
President Bola Tinubu has filed a legal challenge in a United States court seeking to prevent the release of records allegedly linked to past drug trafficking investigations involving him.
The documents are being sought by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against several US government agencies, including the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Greenspan is seeking access to the FBI’s files on Tinubu, including interview records covering 1992 and 1993. His request also includes documents relating to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding involving about $460,000 allegedly connected to Tinubu.
Tinubu has denied wrongdoing.
According to a 16-page court filing submitted by his legal team, Christopher W. Carmichael, Victor P. Henderson and Oluwole O. Afolabi, the president argued that releasing the records could violate his privacy rights.
Tinubu’s lawyers maintained that the previous disclosure of some information during the forfeiture proceedings did not eliminate his privacy interest in the remaining investigative records.
They cited several US court decisions to argue that an individual can retain privacy rights over information contained in government investigative files, even when some details have previously entered the public domain.
“Regardless of the prior disclosure in the forfeiture proceeding, Intervenor retains a privacy interest in potential disclosure of the investigative files sought by Plaintiff,” the lawyers argued.
The legal team also challenged Greenspan’s broader effort to obtain documents containing Tinubu’s name, arguing that the Freedom of Information Act should not be used to search government files for information about a private individual.
The lawyers further argued that the FBI and DEA had properly applied exemptions under the FOIA and the Privacy Act to withhold or redact portions of the records.
They urged the court to reject Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and allow the redactions and withholding of documents by the FBI and DEA to remain in place.
“For all the foregoing reasons, Intervenor requests that the Court deny Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and allow the redactions or withholdings made by the FBI and DEA to stand,” the filing stated.
The case remains before the US court, with Greenspan seeking access to the records and Tinubu opposing their release on privacy grounds.
