President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved to buy more time in a controversial legal battle in the United States over the release of records connected to old allegations linking him to a drug-related investigation.
Tinubu’s lawyers have joined the United States Department of Justice in asking a federal court in Washington DC for a 10-day extension to respond to a motion demanding the release of documents concerning alleged narcotics-related investigations involving the Nigerian leader.
The request was filed before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, with Tinubu’s legal team asking to be placed on the same timeline as other defendants in the case.
The move has reignited political controversy over a long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan against the Executive Office for US Attorneys and other federal agencies.
The case, titled Aaron Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, et al., has dragged on for more than three years, with Greenspan seeking access to government records believed to contain details of US investigations involving Tinubu.
The filing by Tinubu’s lawyers was made public by Von Batten-Montague-York, a US policy advisory firm working with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In the court notice, Tinubu’s legal representatives stated that they were joining the defendants’ request for additional time to respond to the motion for summary judgment, arguing that all parties should operate on the same schedule.
The document was signed by Christopher W. Carmichael and Victor P. Henderson of Henderson Parks, LLC, who are representing Tinubu in the matter.
However, the request suffered a setback after US District Judge Beryl Howell rejected the application for an extension.
Following the court’s decision, Von Batten-Montague-York claimed on social media platform X that the delay request could have given the Nigerian President more time to engage US officials over the possible release of the records.
The firm alleged that the documents could become a sensitive issue in US-Nigeria diplomatic relations, particularly as both countries continue cooperation on security and economic matters.
The decades-old controversy
The controversy centres around a 1993 US civil forfeiture case involving $460,000 held in an account linked to Tinubu during his time as a private citizen in the United States.
US authorities had investigated a Chicago-based drug trafficking network operating in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Court documents from the period showed that American authorities sought the forfeiture of funds they alleged were connected to proceeds of narcotics activities or financial transactions violating money laundering laws.
A US court later ordered the forfeiture of the money to the government.
The issue resurfaced during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, when opposition parties questioned Tinubu’s past in the United States and demanded greater transparency over the matter.
Tinubu’s defence
Tinubu has repeatedly denied involvement in drug trafficking, insisting that he was never arrested, charged, convicted or prosecuted for any narcotics offence in the United States.
His lawyers have maintained that the forfeiture case was a civil action against the money itself — known as an in rem proceeding — and not a criminal prosecution against him.
They have also argued that the forfeiture did not establish criminal wrongdoing by Tinubu and that no US court has convicted him of any drug-related offence.
The latest legal battle comes as political opponents continue to demand the release of the records, while Tinubu’s supporters insist that previous allegations against him have been politically motivated and repeatedly addressed.
The FOIA lawsuit will determine whether the requested documents from US authorities will eventually be made public.
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