US judge gives FBI until August 28 to oppose release of Tinubu
A US federal judge has ordered the FBI and other agencies to file their opposition to the release of records concerning Nigerian President Bola Tinubu by August 28, 2026. The records relate to historical drug trafficking allegations, which Tinubu has consistently denied.
Why it matters
The case involves transparency regarding the background of a sitting head of state and the limits of US government secrecy regarding law enforcement records.
WASHINGTON-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York has said that the United States federal judge gave the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and President Bola Tinubu until August 28, 2026, to oppose the release of records relating to allegations of drug trafficking involving the Nigerian leader.
The firm disclosed this in a post on X on Friday, August 21, saying US District Judge Beryl Howell also granted the FBI permission to submit the documents to the court privately for review.
According to the lobbyist firm, Howell directed the parties to file their opposition to the release of the records by August 28, “and no later.”
The firm, hired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, said the judge’s decision followed the FBI’s request to provide the court with sensitive documents privately before any decision is made on their release.
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