The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have jointly requested a 90-day extension from a U.S. federal court to produce documents related to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case involving Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and an alleged drug investigation from the 1990s.
The request was filed on Thursday in a joint status report submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where Judge Beryl Howell is presiding over the case.
The case was initiated by American legal transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, founder of the PlainSite platform, who is seeking the release of records tied to a Chicago-based drug ring. President Tinubu is one of four individuals named in the FOIA requests, alongside Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
The court had previously ordered the FBI and DEA to provide an update on their progress by May 2, 2025. However, in the latest filing, the agencies said they need more time to locate and produce “non-exempt, reasonably segregable” records in response to Greenspan’s requests.
“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches… and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days,” the report stated.
The FOIA requests — which span from 2022 to 2023 — have faced significant delays. Initially, the agencies issued what is known as a “Glomar response,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of relevant records. The court later ruled this approach inappropriate and directed the agencies to proceed with full or partial disclosures.
Greenspan has strongly opposed the 90-day extension, arguing that the FBI and DEA have already delayed the process for years and that some responsive documents have already been located. He is pushing for the release of unredacted documents within a week, and for all remaining records to be produced within two weeks.
“The defendants provide no rationale for why their search… should take 90 days,” Greenspan noted in the filing, further emphasizing the prolonged delay in accessing public records.
In addition to seeking the release of documents, Greenspan is also requesting reimbursement of $440.22 for filing and mailing costs.
The two parties remain at odds over the next steps. While the FBI and DEA propose submitting the next joint status report by July 31, 2025, Greenspan insists the court should require the report no later than May 31, 2025.
As the legal battle over transparency continues, this case has reignited public interest in past allegations that have shadowed President Tinubu’s political career, even as the administration maintains that no wrongdoing has ever been legally established.
