In a recent court filing, the agencies argued that confirming or denying the existence of records could compromise privacy interests and national security, as they responded to multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from plaintiff Aaron Greenspan. The case highlights ongoing tensions between transparency and the protection of sensitive information held by federal agencies.
The CIA, FBI, and DEA jointly filed a statement opposing the release of unredacted files on Tinubu’s background, again citing national security concerns. According to the filing, disclosing these details could endanger U.S. interests abroad.
Court documents from a Chicago case claim that in the early 1990s, Tinubu was linked to bank accounts allegedly used to launder money for a heroin ring in Chicago. Records from 1993 reveal that Tinubu, then a prominent figure in Lagos, agreed to forfeit assets to U.S. authorities in a plea bargain, sidestepping a potential trial on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin, a vocal advocate for transparency on the issue, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the CIA, FBI, and DEA had recently submitted a memorandum opposing the release of Tinubu’s records. Intelligence officials argued that revealing such connections could “compromise U.S. national security” and referenced Tinubu’s possible status as a CIA asset.
Amid public demands for transparency, the DEA echoed the CIA’s stance, maintaining that citizens are not entitled to unrestricted access to intelligence files. “We oppose the full, unredacted release of the DEA’s Bola Tinubu heroin trafficking investigation records because… they do not have a right to know what their president is up to,” the DEA stated.
The agencies' position hinges on national security risks, with the CIA underscoring the potential consequences of either confirming or denying any ties to Tinubu.
Hundeyin expressed frustration with what he described as the U.S. intelligence community’s support for “terrible leaders” in Africa, accusing it of worsening regional instability.
It has been 31 years since Tinubu, then a private citizen, forfeited $460,000 to U.S. authorities after an investigation tied him to alleged drug trafficking in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Dada Olusegun, Tinubu’s special assistant on social media, dismissed the claims of CIA ties as “tragic” and baseless, asserting the president’s innocence.
