The Presidency has dismissed the recent ruling by a United States court ordering the release of records regarding President Bola Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a decades-old drug trafficking case, insisting that no new revelations are expected.
In a statement on Sunday, presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, said the documents ordered to be released by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been in the public domain for over 30 years and contain no indictment against Tinubu.
The ruling, delivered on April 8 by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, directed the FBI and DEA to search for and process non-exempt records related to Tinubu, in line with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The court action followed a suit filed by Aaron Greenspan, an American legal activist and founder of the transparency platform, PlainSite, who had submitted 12 FOIA requests to six U.S. federal agencies for records on a Chicago-based heroin trafficking ring that operated in the early 1990s.
Among those listed for investigation in the FOIA requests was President Tinubu.
However, Onanuga maintained that the renewed attention on the case is unwarranted, stressing that both the FBI and DEA records do not implicate the Nigerian leader.
“Our response is as follows: there is nothing new to be revealed,” Onanuga said. “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.”
The statement comes amid renewed public interest in Tinubu’s past dealings in the U.S., as well as political discussions surrounding the transparency and integrity of public office holders.
While the U.S. agencies are now compelled by the court to release the requested records, the Presidency insists the move will not yield any damaging findings.
Legal analysts say the court’s order does not imply guilt but aligns with procedural requirements under the FOIA, which mandates U.S. federal agencies to provide access to certain public documents upon request.
The development has sparked mixed reactions across Nigeria’s political landscape, with opposition voices demanding full disclosure and clarity, while the government continues to maintain there is no wrongdoing.
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