News have broken of a United States court on two agencies concerning President Bola Tinubu- make public alleged Tinubu’s drug records
The order which is coming from the Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court of Columbia, is directed at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to make public such records.
The order is the highpoint of a ruling dated April 8, ordering both agencies to search for and process non-exempt records tied to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by American researcher Aaron Greenspan, reports have indicated.
Aside Tinubu, others whom the order affect are Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele
Greenspan, had submitted 12 FOIA requests, seeking information on a Chicago drug ring that operated in the early 1990s and records on the aforementioned individuals between 2022 and 2023.
Previously, the FBI and DEA issued “Glomar responses” indicating their refusal to confirm or deny the existence of requested records.
However, the court ruled that such responses were improper in this case, as the agencies are now ordered to conduct a search and release non-exempt materials on the matter of Tinubu’s drug records.
“The FBI and DEA have both officially confirmed investigations of Tinubu relating to the drug trafficking ring”, a judgment on the matter had said.
“Any privacy interests implicated by the FOIA requests to the FBI and DEA for records about Tinubu are overcome by the public interest in the release of such information.
“Since the FBI and DEA have provided no information to establish that a cognizable privacy interest exists in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of criminal investigation.
“They have failed to meet their burden to sustain their Glomar responses and provide an additional reason why these responses must be lifted.”
According to the judge in the ruling: the “Plaintiff is entitled to summary judgment as to each of the four Glomar responses asserted by defendants FBI and DEA, while defendant CIA is entitled to summary judgment, since its Glomar response was properly asserted.”
“Accordingly, the FBI and DEA must search for and process non-exempt records responsive to the FOIA requests directed to these agencies.
“The CIA, meanwhile, is entitled to judgment in its favour in this case. The remaining parties are directed to file jointly, by May 2, 2025, a report on the status of any outstanding issues in this case, as described in the accompanying order.”
The Eagle reports that the report is coming at a very critical period in the life of the administration when it is striving to yoke itself with the principles of the rule of law.
How well it would succeed in the above, would be determined to a large extent, to how the latest controversy plays out.
The question that many people are asking is: Will FBI Obey Court Order To Make Public Tinubu’s Drug Records?
