FBI Court Filing Confirms Tinubu Was Subject of US Criminal Investigation in 1990s
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has acknowledged in a sworn court declaration that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the subject of a criminal investigation in the United States dating back to the early 1990s.
The declaration was filed on August 28, 2026, before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking access to records relating to Tinubu.
The case was initiated by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking records held by US law-enforcement agencies concerning Tinubu, including FBI records and interview materials covering the 1992–1993 period.
In the latest court filing, the FBI stated that the records sought by Greenspan were compiled in connection with its investigation of multiple individuals for drug-trafficking crimes.
The agency also referred to an earlier court determination that an official acknowledgement had already been made regarding an investigation involving Tinubu.
The development has renewed attention on a long-running dispute over records concerning Tinubu’s activities in the United States during the 1990s.
The records sought include the FBI’s file on Tinubu and FBI Form 302 interview records connected to an FBI case from the 1992–1993 period. The lawsuit also concerns records related to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding involving approximately $460,000.
The FBI, however, is opposing the full release of the requested records. The agency has invoked several exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act, arguing that portions of the material should remain protected because disclosure could implicate personal privacy, confidential sources, investigative techniques and other law-enforcement interests.
The latest filing does not amount to a criminal conviction or a finding that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence. It confirms the existence and official acknowledgement of an investigation, while the underlying records and details of the investigation remain the subject of the court proceedings.
Tinubu’s legal team has separately challenged the release of records concerning him, arguing that disclosure would infringe on his privacy rights. The legal dispute is continuing before the US federal court.
The latest development follows previous proceedings in which the court ruled that US agencies could no longer simply refuse to confirm or deny the existence of records relating to the investigation.
The court will ultimately determine what portions of the requested records can be released and what information may lawfully remain withheld.
