By News Desk
WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal judge has rejected a request for a 10-day extension in the ongoing litigation over Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosures concerning decades-old U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) records linked to President Bola Tinubu.
U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of the District of Columbia set a deadline of August 21, 2026, granting only a short four-day extension rather than the longer delay requested.
The court proceedings stem from a FOIA lawsuit filed by transparency campaigner Aaron Greenspan seeking files held by federal law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The records pertain to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois involving bank accounts associated with Tinubu during the 1990s.
Public statements released by the U.S.-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York noted that legal representatives for Tinubu joined the government’s request seeking additional time to comply with court submissions. The firm alleged that the extension was sought to allow diplomatic channels to argue against the release of the documents ahead of upcoming political cycles.
Tinubu has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug trafficking or criminal wrongdoing, emphasizing that the 1993 civil forfeiture case concluded in a settlement without any formal indictment or conviction. Nigeria’s Supreme Court and Presidential Election Petition Court previously reviewed and dismissed challenges regarding the civil forfeiture during post-election litigation following the 2023 presidential contest.
