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By 247ureports.com
A filing in a US federal court has put a spotlight on the $750,000 monthly fee the Nigerian government pays a Washington lobbying firm, as the plaintiff in the long-running Freedom of Information Act case over Tinubu-linked FBI and DEA records seeks permission to question the president and obtain documents from the firm.
What the Filing Says
The filing, in the FOIA case before Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, was submitted by plaintiff Aaron Greenspan. It states that DCI Group AZ, LLC “is paid $750,000 per month by Intervenor’s government” — a reference to the Nigerian government, with Tinubu as intervenor in the case. It adds that on August 5, 2026, an account the firm manages published a post attacking Greenspan.
Greenspan has asked the court for leave to send Tinubu six written questions, four requests for admission and one document request, and to obtain documents from DCI Group AZ, over repeated cyberattacks on his website. He does not accuse Tinubu of ordering the attacks, and no court has made any such finding.
An Allegation, and a Documented Payment
The monthly fee itself is not new or in dispute. A December 18, 2025 filing under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) identified DCI Group as an agent of “the Republic of Nigeria through Aster Legal.” It disclosed a $4.5 million payment on December 12, 2025, covering the first six months of an agreement for $750,000 a month. Reports say the contract could reach about $9 million over a year, and its mandate has reportedly expanded beyond its stated focus on Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts and the protection of religious communities.
What is contested is the link the filing draws. It cites a separate allegation by federal prosecutors that a Washington lobbying firm engaged Israeli contractors who directed the hacking of accounts belonging to targets of a project for the firm’s client, with the hacked data passed to the firm. The filing does not establish that the Nigerian government directed or financed the attacks on Greenspan’s site, or that the monthly payment was connected to them. It also does not establish that DCI Group or Tinubu had any role.
The Wider Fight
DCI Group has been drawn into a broader legal and lobbying contest. Von Batten-Montague-York, the firm Atiku Abubakar hired in March on a reported $1.2 million, 12-month contract, filed a $57 million suit on September 28 against Tinubu, the Nigerian government, Femi Fani-Kayode and DCI Group. The claimed damages include $36 million from Tinubu and the government, $3 million from Fani-Kayode and $18 million from DCI. Former Blanco, Texas, mayor Mike Arnold has also accused the administration and DCI of potentially violating US law, alleging the firm used its platform to attack Atiku, a claim that remains unproven.
Combined, the Tinubu and Atiku camps have committed more than $10.2 million to US lobbying, according to an analysis of public filings. Critics argue that the government’s contract is public money and deserves a higher standard of scrutiny than Atiku’s campaign spending, while Atiku’s camp has accused the government of hypocrisy over its own spending.
Presidency Response
247ureports.com had not located a response from the Presidency, DCI Group or the Federal Ministry of Information to the latest filing. The court has not ruled on Greenspan’s request for discovery.
247ureports.com will update this story when the court rules or the parties respond.
