The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have jointly requested a 90-day extension to produce documents relating to an alleged drug probe linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria.
It was learnt that the probe took place in the 1990s when the Nigerian leader was residing in Chicago, US.
The US law enforcement agencies made their request for extension on Thursday through a joint status report in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case filed by legal transparency advocate and founder of PlainSite, Aaron Greenspan.
Greenspan is seeking the release of documents tied to a Chicago-based drug ring, naming Tinubu along with three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
Earlier, Judge Beryl Howell had ordered the FBI and DEA to provide an update on their progress in locating and releasing non-exempt records by May 2, 2025.
In the latest filing, the agencies said they had begun their searches but require an additional 90 days to complete the process.
According to the joint report: “Aaron Greenspan (“Plaintiff”) and Defendants Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the only remaining defendants in this case, respectfully submit the following joint status report proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings, pursuant to the Court’s Order of April 8, 2025 (ECF No. 47).
“Pursuant to the court’s order, the defendants, FBI and DEA must search for and produce non-exempt records responsive to the plaintiff’s FOIA requests (FBI Requests Nos. 1588244-000 and 1593615-000, and DEA Request Nos. 22-00892-F and 24-00201-F).
“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days.”
Greenspan, however, opposed the delay, noting that the agencies had already taken years to respond and that some relevant documents had already been located. He urged the court to enforce a shorter deadline.
“Given the years-long delay already caused by the defendants and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, the plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or, at the very least, produce unredacted versions of the already-identified documents by next week, with the remainder completed in 14 days.
“The defendants provide no rationale for why their search for documents should take 90 days,” Greenspan argued.
The FOIA requests, filed between 2022 and 2023, targeted multiple federal agencies. Initially, both the FBI and DEA responded with “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of related records. The court later ruled such responses insufficient and ordered the agencies to proceed with disclosures where applicable.
Greenspan is also seeking reimbursement of $440.22 in filing and mailing expenses.
A disagreement also persists over when the next joint status report should be filed. The agencies suggested July 31, 2025, while Greenspan proposed May 31, 2025.
“The plaintiff intends to request reimbursement for his costs: the filing fee of $402.00 and $38.22 for certified mail postage, totalling $440.22.
“The defendants propose that the parties submit a joint status report on or before July 31, 2025 to update the Court on the case status following the agencies’ search for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable records requested by the plaintiff.
“The plaintiff proposes that they submit a joint status report on or before May 31, 2025,” the report noted.