By News Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has filed an application before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia requesting permission to privately submit sensitive details regarding withheld records connected to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The motion, filed on August 20, 2026, in the ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit Aaron Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., asks the court to allow the agency to submit declarations ex parte and in camera (under seal and in secret) to support its renewed motion for summary judgment.
Specific Exemptions and Safety Concerns
According to court filings, plaintiff Aaron Greenspan’s FOIA requests sought the “entire FBI file” on Tinubu, as well as FBI Form 302 interview records linked to an early 1990s law enforcement case (Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU).
In its latest filing, the FBI cited several statutory exemptions—including FOIA Exemptions 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E), and 7(F)—to justify redacting and withholding portions of the requested files:
- Risk to Personal Safety: Under Exemption 7(F), the FBI asserted that releasing certain unredacted information “could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.”
- Investigative Techniques: The agency invoked Exemption 7(E) to shield confidential law enforcement methods, procedures, and internal operational guidelines.
- Secrecy Protocol: The FBI informed United States District Judge Beryl A. Howell that disclosing the underlying details in public court documents would compromise the exact confidential information it seeks to protect, making closed-door judicial review necessary.
Procedural Timeline
The FBI stated that the plaintiff, Aaron Greenspan, opposed the request for ex parte and in camera submissions following a conference between the parties on August 19.
Pending judicial approval from Judge Howell, the FBI plans to submit its sealed declarations to the court by August 28. Neither the Executive Office for the President of Nigeria nor the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a public comment regarding the latest motion.
