Releasing Tinubu’s Records Could Endanger Lives, Leak Secrets—FBI Tells Court

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has informed the United States District Court in Columbia that revealing the records of Nigeria’s President, Mr Bola Tinubu, would not be the best thing to do.

In an ex parte in camera declaration dated August 20, 2026, the agency warned that lives could be endangered if it releases information about its investigative records relating to allegations of drug trafficking against Mr Tinubu.

The FBI said it has invoked various Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions against the requests for President Tinubu’s records from 1992 to 1993, stressing that if these requests are granted, they “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.”

“One of the requests at issue is the request assigned Request Number 1588244-000, which sought “[t]he entire FBI file for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, DOB 3/29/1952, President-Elect of Nigeria as of February 2023.

“Plaintiff submitted a second FOIA request to the FBI seeking “FBI 302 interviews with Bola Tinubu from FBI Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU during the timeframe 1992-1993.

“This was assigned Request Number 1593615-000. The FBI has invoked various Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions, including 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E) and 7(F) regarding these requests, and determined the information withheld from Plaintiff in this case, if disclosed, 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 FBI has determined that it cannot provide on the public record the full basis for the application of Exemptions 7(E) and 7(F) to certain withholdings and that, therefore, an ex parte, under seal declaration is necessary,” part of the FBI’s application stated.

Recently, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections, Mr Atiku Abubakar, hired a Washington-based lobbying company, Von Batten-Montague-York.

The lobbying firm posted a copy of the FBI’s application on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Many years ago, Mr Tinubu was said to have forfeited some funds linked to drug trafficking to the US government.