Give us 90-day extension to release Tinubu’s records — FBI, DEA appeal to US District Court

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have asked a United States District Court to grant them a 90-day extension to produce documents tied to an alleged drug investigation involving President Bola Tinubu in the 1990s.

The appeal was made on Thursday through a joint status report filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

The case originated from a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act requests made by Aaron Greenspan, a US-based legal transparency advocate and founder of the PlainSite platform. 

Greenspan is demanding the release of records linked to a Chicago drug ring and has listed President Tinubu along with three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.

Judge Beryl Howell had earlier directed the FBI and DEA to provide a status update on the search and release of non-exempt documents by May 2, 2025. 

However, in their latest filing, both agencies said they require additional time to conclude their search.

The report states, “Aaron Greenspan (‘Plaintiff’) and Defendants Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the only remaining defendants in this case, respectfully submit the following joint status report proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings, pursuant to the Court’s Order of April 8, 2025 (ECF No. 47).

“Pursuant to the court’s order, the defendants, FBI and DEA must search for and produce non-exempt records responsive to the plaintiff’s FOIA requests (FBI Requests Nos. 1588244-000 and 1593615-000, and DEA Request Nos. 22-00892-F and 24-00201-F).

“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days.”

Greenspan, however, opposed the proposed extension, criticising the agencies for prolonged delays and insisting that some of the requested documents had already been located.

He countered with a call for a shorter deadline. “Given the years-long delay already caused by the defendants and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, the plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or, at the very least, produce unredacted versions of the already-identified documents by next week, with the remainder completed in 14 days. The defendants provide no rationale for why their search for documents should take 90 days.

“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days,” Greenspan said.

The FOIA requests in question were filed between 2022 and 2023, targeting multiple federal agencies. Initially, the FBI and DEA issued “Glomar responses” — a refusal to confirm or deny the existence of the documents. 

The court later ruled this approach inappropriate and instructed the agencies to proceed with full or partial disclosure, where applicable.

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Greenspan is also seeking reimbursement for his expenses, totalling $440.22, comprising a $402.00 filing fee and $38.22 for certified mail postage.

The dispute between both parties now extends to when the next joint status report should be submitted. While the FBI and DEA suggested July 31, Greenspan is pushing for May 31, 2025.

“The plaintiff intends to request reimbursement for his costs: the filing fee of $402.00 and $38.22 for certified mail postage, totalling $440.22.“

The report added, “The defendants propose that the parties submit a joint status report on or before July 31, 2025 to update the Court on the case status following the agencies’ search for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable records requested by the plaintiff. The plaintiff proposes that they submit a joint status report on or before May 31, 2025.”

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