The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have jointly asked the court for a 90-day extension to finish gathering records related to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even though an earlier order required them to deliver the documents by May 2.
This request stems from a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, who is pressing for files concerning an alleged 1990s drug probe in which Tinubu was purportedly involved. On April 8, Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected the agencies’ effort to employ a “Glomar response,” ruling that they must either confirm or deny the existence of the requested records and proceed with the search.
Greenspan has objected to the proposed 90-day timeframe, insisting instead that the agencies be allowed no more than 14 additional days to comply. In their joint status report, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. and Assistant Attorney M. Jared Littman state that they have already commenced the search and believe it will require three more months to locate and review all responsive, non-exempt materials.
The report reads in part:
“Based on the years-long delay already caused by defendants, and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or at least that the FBI and DEA produce unredacted versions of already-identified documents by next week, and the remainder of production in 14 days.
“Defendants provide no rationale whatsoever as to why their search for documents should take 90 days.
“Plaintiff intends to request his costs (the filing fee of $402.00 and $38.22 for Certified Mail postage, for a total of $440.22).
“Defendants propose that the parties submit a joint status report on or before July 31, 2025, to apprise the court as to the status of the case following the agencies’ search for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by plaintiff.
“Plaintiff proposes that they submit a joint status report on or before May 31, 2025.”
Tinubu has not been charged in connection with this investigation, and the agencies maintain that the additional time is necessary to ensure a thorough and complete review of all potentially responsive records.
Greenspan’s counsel argues that the bulk of the documents have already been located and that further delay is unwarranted. The court will consider both parties’ positions before deciding whether to grant the FBI and DEA the extra 90 days or to order a shorter extension.
Follow Parallel Facts on WhatsApp Channel;https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
