In a landmark ruling, a U.S. court has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release records relating to Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directive was issued by Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, following a legal push by American activist and transparency advocate, Aaron Greenspan.
Greenspan had accused the FBI of violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by failing to provide documents concerning alleged investigations into Tinubu and one Abiodun Agbele. He filed a motion asking the court to revisit an earlier decision that had denied access to the requested documents.
Judge Howell, in her ruling, stated that keeping the information hidden from the public “is neither logical nor plausible,” signaling a partial victory for Greenspan and advocates of open governance.
This ruling comes in the shadow of long-standing allegations that Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government back in 1993. The funds were reportedly linked to narcotics trafficking proceeds—a claim that has continued to haunt his political career.
During Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election legal battles, both former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Labour Party’s Peter Obi raised concerns over Tinubu’s eligibility, citing the same forfeiture case.
However, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal eventually dismissed their suits and upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Now, with this fresh U.S. court order, the matter is once again back in the spotlight, and Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see the full content of the records.
What do you think about this development? Should the contents of the U.S. investigation be made public? Join the conversation on our social media pages and share your thoughts!
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