FBI explains why Tinubu-linked drug investigation records cannot be made public

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., for permission to withhold some records relating to an old investigation linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing concerns over law-enforcement methods and the safety of individuals.

The request was contained in a motion filed on August 20, 2026, before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, where the FBI asked to provide the judge with additional details supporting its decision to keep portions of the records from public disclosure.

The FBI wants to submit the additional explanation ex parte and in camera, meaning it would be presented privately to the judge and would not form part of the publicly accessible court record.

According to the agency, providing a full public explanation could itself reveal the sensitive information it is seeking to protect.

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The FBI said some of the withheld material could disclose investigative procedures and techniques used by law-enforcement authorities, while other information could expose individuals to potential threats to their physical safety.

The filing was publicised on X by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm.

The legal dispute arose from two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking FBI records connected to Tinubu.

One request sought the Bureau’s complete file concerning the Nigerian President, while the other requested interview reports, known as Form 302s, relating to an FBI investigation from 1992 and 1993.

The FBI said it had applied several exemptions under the FOIA to portions of the requested material. The exemptions cover information relating to personal privacy, confidential sources, law-enforcement techniques and information that could endanger an individual’s safety.

The Bureau told the court that its public filings could not adequately explain the full basis for its reliance on FOIA exemptions 7(E) and 7(F), which relate to law-enforcement techniques and information that could reasonably be expected to endanger a person’s life or physical safety.

It is therefore seeking permission to supplement its public submission with a sealed declaration, allowing the judge to examine the sensitive justification privately.

If the court grants the request, the FBI said it intends to submit the confidential declaration by August 28, 2026.

The development means that, at least for now, the FBI is seeking to keep portions of the Tinubu-linked records from public disclosure rather than release the complete files requested under the FOIA.

(Punch)