The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have requested an additional 90 days to complete their search for investigative records related to a decades-old drug case allegedly linked to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The request comes despite a U.S. District Court order mandating that the agencies release the documents by May 2.
The court order was issued in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan.
The case seeks the release of files from a 1990s investigation that reportedly implicated Tinubu and others in a narcotics-related matter.
On April 8, Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against the agencies’ previous attempt to withhold information using a “Glomar response”—a legal mechanism allowing agencies to neither confirm nor deny the existence of specific records. The judge found their justification for withholding the records “lacking in merit.”
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Now, in a joint status report filed with the court, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Jared Littman stated that the FBI and DEA have initiated their searches and anticipate needing until July 31, 2025, to finalize and submit their findings.
“Pursuant to the court’s order…, the FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days,” the agencies said.
However, Greenspan has strongly opposed the request, arguing that the agencies have already caused significant delays.
In his objection, he proposed that the agencies be given no more than 14 additional days to complete their searches and produce unredacted versions of already identified documents.
“Defendants provide no rationale whatsoever as to why their search for documents should take 90 days,” Greenspan stated. “Based on the years-long delay already caused by defendants, and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week.”
Greenspan also indicated his intention to seek reimbursement for costs incurred in pursuing the case, including a $402 court filing fee and $38.22 for certified mail postage, totaling $440.22.
The agencies have proposed submitting a joint status report by July 31, while Greenspan insists the next update to the court should come by May 31.
The case continues to draw attention both in the United States and Nigeria, as questions surrounding President Tinubu’s past remain politically sensitive and controversial.
The court will now decide whether to grant the requested 90-day extension or enforce a shorter timeline for the release of the documents.