Nigerians and presidential handlers are eagerly awaiting the release of investigative files by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regarding President Bola Tinubu’s alleged drug case from the 1990s.
The United States government agencies are expected to release the investigation reports on Tinubu’s alleged drug case on Friday, May 2.
This comes after a United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release investigative files related to the Nigerian President.
The court’s ruling, issued on April 8, 2025, mandated that these agencies process and disclose non-exempt records by May 2, 2025.
Recall that the case began from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan, an American transparency advocate and founder of PlainSite.
Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests between 2022 and 2023, seeking records on a Chicago-based heroin trafficking ring allegedly linked to Tinubu and three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
The FBI and DEA initially issued “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of such records, citing privacy and national security concerns.
However, Judge Beryl Howell ruled that these responses were improper, stating that the public interest in transparency outweighs any privacy claims, given prior official acknowledgements of Tinubu’s investigation.
Previous information on Tinubu’s alleged drug case revealed that the president forfeited $460,000 to U.S. authorities as part of a civil forfeiture proceeding linked to bank accounts allegedly used to launder money for a heroin distribution network in Chicago.
Tinubu’s alleged drug case, detailed in a 1993 affidavit by IRS Special Agent Kevin Moss, involved investigations by the FBI, DEA, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
While Tinubu was never criminally charged or convicted, the forfeiture has long been a point of contention, particularly during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, when opponents Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi challenged his eligibility.
The upcoming release of these investigative files could include previously undisclosed details about the scope of Tinubu’s alleged ties to the drug ring, though the extent of new information remains uncertain.
This development comes at a time when President Tinubu’s administration faces scrutiny over economic challenges and governance issues in Nigeria.
The release of these files could amplify public discourse, particularly among critics who have long demanded clarity on Tinubu’s past.
Recall that following the court decision, the presidency downplayed the development, insisting that the contents of FBI and DEA reports were neither new nor incriminating.
In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the reports in question have been in the public domain for more than three decades and contain no indictments against the Nigerian leader.
“There is nothing new to be revealed. The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report has been in the public space for more than 30 years. The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader. The lawyers are examining the ruling,” Onanuga stated.
