WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a stinging rebuke of America’s top law enforcement agencies, a U.S. District Court Judge has issued a final ultimatum to the FBI and DEA, ordering the immediate and transparent release of investigative files related to Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The ruling, delivered on Monday afternoon, February 9, 2026, expressed deep judicial frustration with what the court described as “unreasonable delays” by the agencies in fulfilling a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The judge dismissed the agencies’ pleas for more time, mandating a strict, bi-weekly reporting schedule to ensure the public finally sees the documents.
A Final Deadline for Disclosure
The court’s patience appeared to have run out as it laid down a definitive roadmap for the release of the records to the applicant, Aaron Greenspan:
- The First Wave: The FBI must provide its first interim response within days of this ruling.
- The 500-Page Mandate: A second, substantial batch of at least 500 reviewed pages must be handed over by March 13, 2026.
- Total Completion: The court has set a hard deadline of June 1, 2026, for the processing and production of all responsive records.
‘Neither Logical Nor Plausible’
The judge’s remarks were particularly sharp regarding the agencies’ earlier attempts to keep the files under lock and key. The court previously ruled that the FBI’s arguments for total non-disclosure were “neither logical nor plausible,” especially given the high public interest in the President’s past.
To prevent further foot-dragging, the FBI and DEA must now file joint status reports every 14 days, beginning February 27, 2026, detailing exactly how many pages have been reviewed and released.
The 1993 Narcotics Forfeiture
The legal battle centers on a decades-old controversy involving the forfeiture of $460,000 by Mr. Tinubu to the U.S. government in 1993. At the time, the funds were linked by the U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois to proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
While the President’s legal team in Nigeria has successfully argued that a forfeiture is not a criminal conviction, the U.S. court’s latest order seeks to uncover the underlying investigative narratives held by the DEA and FBI. The CIA was notably excused from the case in April 2025 after claiming it held no relevant intelligence.
Political Fallout at Home
The news of the U.S. ultimatum arrives as a “political hand grenade” in Abuja.
- The Rigging Narrative: Opposition groups, led by Peter Obi and the ADC, have already labeled the Senate’s rejection of electronic result transmission a “Renewed Rigging Plan.”
- Selective Justice: Activists like Solomon Dalung have questioned why the administration is prosecuting Abubakar Malami for shielding “terror financiers” while its own records remain the subject of international legal battles.
As of Monday evening, the Presidency has not issued a formal response to the U.S. court’s latest order. However, legal observers suggest that the upcoming March 13 deadline could provide the first look at documents that have remained secret for over thirty years.
