A United States court has taken a major step in the legal battle over federal records linked to President Bola Tinubu, allowing the FBI to make a private presentation of sensitive documents as it fights to keep parts of the files away from public view.
Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FBI’s request to submit confidential materials for an in-camera review — meaning the judge will examine the documents privately before deciding whether they should be released.
The development was disclosed by Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a Washington-based lobbying firm representing former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar in related advocacy efforts.
The FBI had asked the court for permission to file an ex parte, under-seal declaration, arguing that publicly explaining the reasons for withholding some of the records could expose sensitive law enforcement methods, reveal protected information and potentially put individuals connected to investigations at risk.
The agency warned that releasing details contained in the disputed files could have serious consequences, including the possibility of endangering the lives of people whose identities or roles may be linked to law enforcement activities.
The confidential filing request is part of a long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, who has been seeking access to records held by US agencies concerning investigations dating back to the early 1990s.
In her latest order, Judge Howell directed the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and President Tinubu’s legal team to file their final arguments on whether the records should be released by August 28, 2026.
The case has generated attention because some of the requested documents relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture matter in Chicago involving about $460,000.
Tinubu was not criminally charged over the matter and has consistently maintained that it was resolved as a civil settlement and did not represent a criminal conviction or admission of wrongdoing.
US agencies had earlier issued what is known as a “Glomar response”, refusing to confirm or deny the existence of relevant records.
However, Judge Howell ruled in 2025 that the agencies could not rely solely on that position and ordered them to process any documents that were not protected by legal exemptions for possible disclosure.
The latest court decision does not mean the records will automatically become public. Instead, the judge will first examine the withheld materials privately to determine whether the FBI and other agencies have sufficient legal grounds to keep them sealed.
As the August 28 deadline approaches, the court battle has entered a crucial stage, with the judge expected to weigh public interest in transparency against the government’s argument that disclosure could expose sensitive operations and threaten lives.
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