The anticipated release of documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) concerning an alleged drug investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has been postponed.
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell had previously ordered the agencies to release the documents by May 2, 2025. However, in a joint status report filed on Thursday, May 1, the FBI and DEA requested an additional 90 days to complete their review and processing.
The delay stems from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in June 2023 by U.S. transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan. The lawsuit seeks access to federal investigative records related to a 1990s drug trafficking and money laundering case in Chicago, allegedly involving Tinubu and several others.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests to various U.S. agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of State, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in Indiana and Illinois, and the CIA. The requests target documents concerning Bola Tinubu, Mueez Akande, Lee Andrew Edwards, and Abiodun Agbele.
In their filing, the FBI and DEA stated that they are actively searching for non-exempt, reasonably segregable records, but require up to 90 more days to complete the process.
“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches… and anticipate completing them in ninety days,” the agencies noted.
Greenspan, however, opposed the request, describing it as an unjustified delay. He urged the court to impose a shorter deadline, arguing that some documents have already been located and should be released immediately.
“The plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or at least release unredacted versions of already-identified documents by then, with the rest completed in 14 days,” Greenspan stated in response.
He also criticized the agencies for failing to provide a clear explanation for the extension, pointing out the long-standing delays already associated with the FOIA requests.
The court has not yet ruled on whether to grant the additional time.