Multiple U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, CIA, DEA, IRS, Department of State, and U.S. Attorneys, are set to release long-awaited documents related to past investigations involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, May 2, 2025. This follows a decisive order issued by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The order stems from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in 2023 by American citizen and public records activist Aaron Greenspan. Greenspan had accused these agencies of unlawfully withholding records pertaining to Tinubu and three others—Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Akande, and Abiodun Agbele—despite multiple FOIA requests filed between 2022 and 2023.
Judge Howell ruled that the agencies' refusal to disclose the requested documents was “neither logical nor plausible,” and directed all involved parties—excluding the CIA—to file and jointly release their reports by the May 2 deadline.
The case has reignited global interest in allegations tied to a 1990s drug-related investigation involving Tinubu, a matter that has resurfaced periodically in both local and international media. While Tinubu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and no formal charges were ever filed, the forced disclosure is expected to shed new light on the U.S. government’s archival records regarding the matter.
As the clock ticks toward May 2, political observers, legal analysts, and the Nigerian public await with keen interest, anticipating that the contents of these documents may either reinforce Tinubu’s long-standing position—or raise fresh questions.