Omanghana
The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing criminal proceedings in the United States, explaining that the ongoing case in Washington, D.C., is a civil dispute concerning the disclosure of government records.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the litigation was filed under the United States Freedom of Information Act and does not involve any criminal charge, trial or conviction against President Tinubu.
The clarification followed renewed public debate over court filings connected to records released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to the Presidency, Civil Action No. 23-1816 was initiated in 2023 by Aaron Greenspan after several US government agencies withheld certain documents or issued a “Glomar response,” through which an agency neither confirms nor denies the existence of requested records.
President Tinubu was subsequently allowed to participate in the case as an intervenor to protect his legal interests, including his right to privacy.
The Presidency stressed that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has not been asked to determine Tinubu’s criminal guilt or liability. Instead, the court is considering whether the relevant agencies properly applied statutory exemptions when withholding or redacting information from the requested records.
It explained that the court had already granted summary judgment in favour of the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and Executive Office for United States Attorneys, effectively removing those agencies from the litigation.
The FBI and DEA reportedly released 399 pages of documents, although significant portions were redacted under exemptions contained in US freedom-of-information law.
The Department of Justice, which represents the FBI and DEA, has opposed the release of the records in an unredacted form. It argued that the withheld information includes grand jury material, attorney work product, confidential sources, law-enforcement techniques and personal information protected under FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C).
President Tinubu’s legal team has also relied on the privacy protections provided under Exemption 7(C), maintaining that the disclosure of certain personal information would amount to an unjustified invasion of privacy.
Judge Beryl A. Howell, who is presiding over the case, has set September 11, 2026, as the deadline for the plaintiff’s opposition and reply filings. The US government agencies and President Tinubu have until September 18, 2026, to submit their final responses.
The Presidency also rejected claims linking former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and lobbyist Karl von Batten to the lawsuit, stating that neither individual is a party to the proceedings.
It urged Nigerian media organizations and members of the public to consult verified court documents and avoid relying on politically motivated interpretations of the case.
Source: Omanghana
