WHY WE OPPOSED PUBLIC DISPLAY OF TINUBU’S DRUG TRAFFICKING RECORDS — FBI

August 30, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned that releasing records connected to Bola Tinubu’s alleged drug-trafficking case could expose its informants and agents to threats, retaliation and possible assassination.
The warning was contained in a court filing submitted on Friday, August 28, in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit before Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.

The case followed FOIA requests filed by American transparency activist and lead plaintiff Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking records relating to Tinubu’s alleged drug activities in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.

Tinubu and FBI
Tinubu and FBI
Greenspan had also requested records relating to Tinubu from several U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service and immigration authorities.

According to the FBI, disclosure of some of the information could expose individuals who participated in or assisted investigations to retaliation from third parties allegedly connected to criminal activities covered by the records.

The bureau relied on FOIA Exemption 7(F), alongside other privacy exemptions, arguing that releasing the names or identifying information of certain individuals could endanger their lives or physical safety.

The FBI said some people mentioned in the investigative records could regard the information as derogatory or incriminating, adding that individuals who provided information or participated in the investigation could potentially face violent targeting if their identities were disclosed.

The filing came after Judge Howell ordered the FBI to explain why records relating to the Tinubu investigation should remain withheld and permitted the agency to submit its explanation and relevant records privately for the court’s review.

The FBI and other U.S. agencies have previously faced criticism over delays in releasing the records, including documents connected to the 1993 civil forfeiture case in which $460,000 associated with Tinubu was forfeited to the U.S. government.

Tinubu has denied wrongdoing, and the latest filing does not establish that he was criminally convicted of drug trafficking.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.