U.S. Judge Rebukes FBI, DEA Over Delays in Tinubu Records Release, Sets Final Deadlines

A U.S. judge has sharply criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for repeated delays in releasing records linked to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, setting firm deadlines for the agencies to comply.

Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia made the remarks on February 3, 2026, in response to a 2022 Freedom of Information (FOI) request filed by transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, with investigative journalist David Hundeyin assisting. The request seeks documents concerning a narcotics-related case that led Mr. Tinubu to surrender $460,000 to U.S. authorities in the early 1990s.

Court filings obtained by Peoples Gazette show that Ms. Howell expressed frustration at the agencies for repeatedly postponing submissions. While the FBI initially planned to release 2,500 pages in monthly batches of 500 pages, the process stalled after Mr. Tinubu sought to delay disclosure pending a Nigerian Supreme Court ruling on his election. Although the court later upheld his victory, the agencies continued to request extensions, slowing the FOI process.

“The FBI has produced no records despite initially anticipating completion of searches by August 1, 2025, later postponed multiple times with minimal explanation,” Judge Howell stated. She also criticized the DEA for withholding some documents for over six months without a clear timeline and ordered the agency to provide a detailed Vaughn index and sworn affidavits explaining the status of each record.

The judge directed the FBI to submit all non-exempt documents concerning Mr. Tinubu and provide a timetable for completing the release, with the second batch due by March 13, 2026, and the final batch by June 1. Both agencies are also required to file joint status reports every 14 days until all responsive records are delivered.

Separately, the CIA was excused from the case in April 2025 after asserting it held no relevant intelligence on Mr. Tinubu.