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Presidency Dismisses Fresh U.S. Court Order On Tinubu’s Alleged Drug Case, Says “Nothing New To Reveal”
On Tuesday, Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) must release documents linked to an alleged narcotics trafficking investigation involving Tinubu in the 1990s.
Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Presidency has downplayed a recent U.S. federal court ruling ordering the release of investigative records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the documents are decades old and contain no new revelations.
On Tuesday, Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) must release documents linked to an alleged narcotics trafficking investigation involving Tinubu in the 1990s.
The decision marked a rejection of the agencies’ attempt to shield the information using the so-called “Glomar response,” a legal tactic that allows them to neither confirm nor deny the existence of records.
However, the Nigerian government appears unshaken by the ruling.
“There is nothing new to be revealed,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement released on Sunday.
“The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report have been in the public space for more than 30 years. The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader. The lawyers are examining the ruling.”
However, the U.S. court’s decision, which could lead to renewed scrutiny of Tinubu’s past amid growing interest in his financial and legal history abroad. But the Presidency insists the matter is settled and well-known.
“Journalists have sought the Presidency’s reaction to the ruling last Tuesday by a Washington DC judge ordering the US FBI and DEA to release reports connected with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Onanuga noted.
“Our response is as follows: there is nothing new to be revealed.”
The original case dates back to the early 1990s when Tinubu, then a resident of the United States, was reportedly linked to funds traced to suspected narcotics proceeds.
However, no criminal charges were ever filed against him, and his supporters have long maintained that the matter was a case of mistaken identity or a legal technicality.
The Presidency’s dismissive tone reflects a strategy to minimize political fallout from the revived legal discussions in the United States.
“The lawyers are examining the ruling,” Onanuga added, hinting at potential legal engagement from Tinubu’s team without offering further details.
