The Presidency has moved to address what it described as speculative media reports surrounding an ongoing civil case before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, insisting the proceedings are not a criminal action against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued the clarification on September 3, 2026, outlining the origins, current status, and legal framework of the case.
The presidency has provided explanation on the recent release by the FBI on its investigation of President Bola Tinubu in the 1990s.
Tinubu vs FBI: How the FOIA case began..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The case traces back to 2022, when Aaron Greenspan filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with several US government agencies, seeking records related to President Tinubu. The Presidency described Greenspan as someone known to work with Nigerian opposition figures, including journalist David Hundeyin and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
After the agencies withheld certain records or declined to confirm or deny their existence, Greenspan filed Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023. The court later allowed President Tinubu to join the proceedings as an intervenor.
Several agencies, including the CIA, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service, successfully argued a “Glomar defence” and were removed from the case. This is a standard legal position where a government agency neither confirms nor denies the existence of an investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration remained in the proceedings.
Where the case stands now
In compliance with the court’s orders, the FBI and DEA released 399 pages of documents, with portions redacted under US law. Greenspan challenged those redactions, but the FBI and DEA, through the US Department of Justice, pushed back, citing five legal grounds: grand jury secrecy rules, attorney-client privilege, law enforcement preparation purposes, personal privacy protections, and the risk of exposing confidential sources or investigative techniques.
President Tinubu has also invoked FOIA Exemption 7(C), which protects personal privacy in law enforcement records, on the advice of his legal team.
The next court deadline falls on September 11, 2026, when the Plaintiff must file any opposition. The FBI, DEA, and Tinubu’s legal team then have until September 18, 2026, to respond.
The Presidency also addressed recent commentary from Karl von Batten, saying he and his client have no formal standing in the case. “Neither is a party to the case,” the statement noted.
