The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked a federal court for permission to privately explain why it withheld some records linked to investigations involving President Bola Tinubu.
The request was contained in an application filed on August 20 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
The records are being sought in connection with allegations of drug trafficking involving Tinubu. The President has not been found guilty of drug trafficking in connection with the records described in the filing.
The FBI is seeking leave to submit an ex parte in camera declaration, meaning a written explanation that would be presented privately to the judge and not placed on the public record.
The agency said it could not disclose publicly all the reasons behind its decision to withhold portions of the records.
A copy of the application was shared on 𝕏 by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm recently engaged by former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 election.
The FBI said it had relied on several exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act in responding to requests for records relating to Tinubu.
Part of the FBI’s application reads: “One of the requests at issue is the request assigned Request Number 1588244-000, which sought “[t]he entire FBI file for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, DOB 3/29/1952, President-Elect of Nigeria as of February 2023.
“Plaintiff submitted a second FOIA request to the FBI seeking “FBI 302 interviews with Bola Tinubu from FBI Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU during the timeframe 1992-1993.
“This was assigned Request Number 1593615-000. The FBI has invoked various Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions, including 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E) and 7(F) regarding these requests, and determined the information withheld from Plaintiff in this case, if disclosed, would, among other things, disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations and/or could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.
“The FBI has determined that it cannot provide on the public record the full basis for the application of Exemptions 7(E) and 7(F) to certain withholdings and that, therefore, an ex parte, under seal declaration is necessary.”
The FBI said if the court grants the permission to submit an ex parte in camera declaration, it would explain reasons for withholding certain information before August 28.
The plaintiff in the case is Aaron Greenspan, the American founder of PlainSite.
