- The FBI wants to privately explain withheld records
- The documents relate to requests involving Tinubu
- A US court will decide whether to allow the confidential filing
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to allow it to privately explain why certain records connected to investigations involving President Bola Tinubu were withheld from public disclosure.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the request was filed on August 20 at the US District Court for the District of Columbia as part of a Freedom of Information Act case involving records related to Tinubu.
The documents were requested in connection with allegations concerning drug trafficking. However, the court filing does not establish that Tinubu was convicted or found guilty of drug trafficking based on the records referenced in the case.
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The FBI is seeking permission to submit an explanation to the judge privately and under seal. Such a filing, known as an ex parte, in camera declaration, would allow the agency to provide information directly to the court without placing the details on the public record.
The bureau said it was unable to publicly disclose its complete justification for withholding some of the records because doing so could reveal sensitive law enforcement information.
The application was made public on X by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm that was recently hired by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to the FBI, the records were requested under the US Freedom of Information Act and the agency relied on several exemptions when deciding what information could be withheld.
One of the requests sought the complete FBI file on Tinubu, while another asked for FBI interview records involving him from a case covering the period between 1992 and 1993.
The agency cited FOIA exemptions covering personal privacy, confidential information, investigative methods and information whose disclosure could potentially threaten an individual’s safety.
The FBI said it had concluded that it could not fully explain in a public filing why some of the exemptions relating to investigative techniques and safety concerns applied to the withheld material.
It therefore asked the court to permit the submission of a confidential declaration explaining the basis for its decision.
If the court grants the request, the FBI said it would provide the private explanation to the judge by August 28.
The plaintiff in the case is Aaron Greenspan, an American entrepreneur and founder of PlainSite, who is seeking access to the records through the Freedom of Information Act process.
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