The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have received an order to release documents about the criminal investigation of President Bola Tinubu over alleged drug trafficking.
In a ruling dated April 8, Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court of Columbia ordered both agencies to search for and process non-exempt records tied to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by American researcher Aaron Greenspan.
Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan submitted 12 FOIA requests, seeking information on a Chicago drug ring that operated in the early 1990s and records on Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
Previously, the FBI and DEA issued “Glomar responses” indicating their refusal to confirm or deny the existence of requested records.
However, the court ruled that such responses were improper in this case, as the agencies are now ordered to conduct a search and release non-exempt materials on the matter.
The judgement read: “The FBI and DEA have both officially confirmed investigations of Tinubu relating to the drug trafficking ring.
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“Any privacy interests implicated by the FOIA requests to the FBI and DEA for records about Tinubu are overcome by the public interest in the release of such information.
“Since the FBI and DEA have provided no information to establish that a cognizable privacy interest exists in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of criminal investigation.
“They have failed to meet their burden to sustain their Glomar responses and provide an additional reason why these responses must be lifted.”
Upholding the CIA’s Glomar response, the judge ruled that the “Plaintiff is entitled to summary judgment as to each of the four Glomar responses asserted by defendants FBI and DEA, while defendant CIA is entitled to summary judgment, since its Glomar response was properly asserted.”
“Accordingly, the FBI and DEA must search for and process non-exempt records responsive to the FOIA requests directed to these agencies.
“The CIA, meanwhile, is entitled to judgment in its favour in this case. The remaining parties are directed to file jointly, by May 2, 2025, a report on the status of any outstanding issues in this case, as described in the accompanying order.”
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