The Nigerian Presidency has downplayed a recent U.S. court order directing the FBI and DEA to release documents related to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling the development “nothing new” and insisting the materials contain no evidence of wrongdoing.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Sunday on X (formerly Twitter) that the documents including reports by the FBI and DEA have been in the public domain for over 30 years and do not implicate Tinubu.
“There is nothing new to be revealed,” Onanuga stated. “The reports did not indict President Tinubu. The lawyers are reviewing the ruling.”
Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the FBI and DEA to release non-exempt records in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by American researcher Aaron Greenspan.
The documents relate to past investigations involving Tinubu and an alleged drug trafficking network.
Judge Howell ruled that the public interest in transparency outweighed privacy concerns and criticized the agencies’ refusal to acknowledge the existence of the records. The CIA, however, was allowed to withhold its documents.
The FBI and DEA must file a joint status report by May 2, 2025.
Amid renewed scrutiny, the Presidency reiterated that the reports are decades old and reaffirmed Tinubu’s clean record.
“These documents have circulated since the 1990s. There’s no criminal record, no indictment,” the statement said, adding that the administration remains committed to transparency and national development.
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