The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked a United States federal court for permission to submit a confidential declaration explaining why it is withholding certain investigative records relating to longstanding allegations linking Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a drug-trafficking probe from the early 1990s.
In an application filed on August 20, 2026, before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the FBI stated that it cannot publicly disclose the full reasons for withholding portions of the requested records. The agency therefore requested leave to file an ex parte, in camera declaration a private submission made solely for the judge’s review and not placed on the public record.
The FBI said disclosure of the withheld material “would, among other things, disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations and/or could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.”
The records are the subject of two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted by Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite.
The first request (No. 1588244-000) sought “the entire FBI file for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, DOB 3/29/1952, President-Elect of Nigeria as of February 2023.”
The second request (No. 1593615-000) sought “FBI 302 interviews with Bola Tinubu from FBI Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU during the timeframe 1992-1993.”
The Bureau has invoked several FOIA exemptions, including Exemptions 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E) and 7(F), to justify the withholdings. It specifically told the court that it cannot adequately explain on the public record the full basis for applying Exemptions 7(E) and 7(F) and therefore requires a sealed declaration.
If the court grants the application, the FBI said it will file the confidential declaration before August 28, 2026.
The litigation arises from FOIA requests concerning a Chicago heroin-trafficking investigation that operated in the early 1990s. Greenspan has sought records relating to four named individuals allegedly associated with the probe, including Tinubu.
The latest filing comes amid ongoing legal proceedings in which the FBI and other agencies have been ordered to process and release non-exempt responsive records. President Tinubu has previously intervened in the case through legal counsel on privacy grounds.
The court has yet to rule on the FBI’s request for permission to submit the sealed declaration.