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FBI confirms President Tinubu was subject of drug trafficking investigation
A sworn declaration from the FBI has confirmed that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was the subject of a criminal investigation into drug trafficking. The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, states that the records in question were compiled as part of an investigation involving multiple individuals for drug trafficking crimes.
The confirmation comes amid an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by transparency activist Aaron Greenspan. Greenspan is seeking access to investigative records held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) related to a 1990s heroin trafficking and money-laundering operation. While U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell previously ruled that the government could no longer use 'Glomar' responses to deny the existence of records regarding Tinubu, certain portions of the documents remain redacted to protect law enforcement methods, confidential sources, and personal privacy.
Wole Afolabi, a member of Tinubu’s U.S. legal team, has defended the President, arguing that if there were sufficient evidence of criminal culpability, U.S. authorities would have already indicted or arrested him. Afolabi maintained that the legal challenges regarding redactions are a standard exercise of legal rights and not an attempt to conceal incriminating information.
Entities
Aaron Greenspan · Afe Babalola University · Bola Tinubu · Ekiti State · FBI · Femi Falana · Lagos State Police Command · United States Department of Justice · United States District Court for the District of Columbia · Wole Afolabi
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Aaron Greenspan filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to access FBI and DEA records concerning Tinubu. thepodiummedia.com · www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng · thenigerialawyer.com · www.nigerianeye.com · 247ureports.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Lawyer Femi Falana demanded the arrest and prosecution of police officers for allegedly disrupting a pensioners' protest with tear gas. theglittersonline.com.ng · chronicle.ng · www.thisdaylive.com · punchng.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Lagos State Police Command denied reports that they used tear gas to disperse protesting pensioners in Alausa. www.lindaikejisblog.com
- [DISPUTED] The FBI confirmed in a sworn declaration that Bola Tinubu was the subject of a criminal investigation into drug trafficking. www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng · 247ureports.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Wole Afolabi argued that if there were sufficient evidence linking Tinubu to drug trafficking, he would have been indicted and arrested by US authorities. thepodiummedia.com · thenigerialawyer.com · www.naijanews.com · www.nigerianeye.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The FBI records in question were compiled as part of an investigation into multiple individuals for drug trafficking crimes. www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng · 247ureports.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Judge Beryl Howell ruled that an official acknowledgment had already been made that Tinubu was the subject of an investigation. 247ureports.com · www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng