The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have requested a 90-day extension from a U.S. District Court before releasing documents related to an alleged drug investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The investigation, which dates back to the 1990s, has come under renewed scrutiny following Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by Aaron Greenspan, a U.S. legal transparency advocate and founder of the platform PlainSite.
In a joint status report submitted on Thursday to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the FBI and DEA requested additional time to complete their searches and prepare the release of non-exempt records.
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Greenspan is seeking access to files connected to a Chicago-based drug trafficking ring. Among those named in his request are President Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
Previously, Judge Beryl Howell had ordered the FBI and DEA to provide a status update on the release of relevant documents by May 2, 2025. However, in their recent filing, the agencies stated they require more time to fulfill the court’s directive.
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The report reads,
Aaron Greenspan (“Plaintiff”) and Defendants Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the only remaining defendants in this case, respectfully submit the following joint status report proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings, pursuant to the Court’s Order of April 8, 2025 (ECF No. 47).
Pursuant to the court’s order, the defendants, FBI and DEA must search for and produce non-exempt records responsive to the plaintiff’s FOIA requests (FBI Requests Nos. 1588244-000 and 1593615- 000, and DEA Request Nos. 22-00892-F and 24-00201-F).
The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days.
Greenspan has opposed the requested delay, arguing that the FBI and DEA have already stalled the process for years despite having identified some of the relevant documents.
He has instead proposed a significantly shorter deadline for their release.
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