The US District Court for the District of Columbia has granted the FBI permission to submit documents related to President Bola Tinubu for private, in-camera review, according to a Washington-based lobbying firm. The decision marks a significant step in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case seeking the release of alleged drug-trafficking records linked to the Nigerian president.
Court Grants FBI Private Submission Request
In an update posted on X, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. said it had been informed that Judge Beryl Howell on Friday, August 21, granted the FBI's request to provide the court with the documents privately. The firm noted that this development has not yet been published on the court docket as of the evening of the ruling, and the claim is based solely on the law firm's X post.
The judge has given the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and President Tinubu until August 28, 2026, and no later, to file their opposition to the release of the records. The firm described the 'and no later' language as a sign that the court has reached its limit.
FBI Must Justify Non-Disclosure
According to the firm, the FBI will now have to convince the court why the documents should not be released, including through its private submission of the sensitive material for judicial review. The FBI had previously acknowledged possessing highly sensitive information related to allegations of drug trafficking involving Tinubu.
The firm argued that the FBI's request for the court to review the documents privately indicated that the material contained information the agency considered particularly sensitive. The firm also alleged that the records could involve information concerning criminal informants and claimed that the development contradicted previous characterizations of the matter as being solely related to civil forfeiture.
Firm's Statement on the Ruling
“We have now been informed that US Court’s Judge Howell this morning granted the FBI permission to provide the court with the documents in private,” the firm's post read. “This has not yet been published on the court docket as of this evening, and the claim is based solely on the law firm’s X post.”
The ruling sets a firm deadline for all parties to file their opposition, signaling that the court is moving toward a resolution in the case. The FBI's private submission will now be subject to judicial scrutiny to determine whether the documents should be released to the public.
