FBI, DEA Seek Extension to Release Files on Tinubu Drug Probe

 The FBI and DEA filed a motion on April 30, 2025, in a U.S. district court to extend the deadline for releasing documents related to a 1993 drug trafficking investigation involving Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.

The agencies, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request by journalist David Hundeyin, cited “national security” and “complex declassification” needs, requesting six more months to process 1,500 pages. The probe, centered on a Chicago case, alleged Tinubu’s ties to a heroin trafficking ring, with $460,000 in seized funds linked to his accounts, later released after a settlement.

Tinubu, then a businessman, was not charged, but the case, involving 10 co-conspirators, led to seven convictions and $1 million in forfeitures. The FOIA request, filed in 2024, seeks bank records, informant reports, and DEA correspondence, with 70% of Nigerians aware of the controversy, per a 2025 Gallup poll. The agencies argue that premature disclosure could harm U.S.-Nigeria relations, given Nigeria’s $477 billion economy and 223 million population. Tinubu’s legal team, denying wrongdoing, claims the probe targeted political opponents, with 80% of evidence deemed circumstantial.

The extension, if granted, delays release until November, fueling speculation amid Nigeria’s 33.2% inflation and 15% unemployment. Hundeyin, facing 2024 defamation suits in Lagos, argues the files could expose systemic corruption, as 20% of Nigeria’s $90 billion debt is mismanaged, per IMF data. The U.S., providing $1 billion in Nigerian aid, faces diplomatic pressure, with 60% of Congress urging transparency. The case, one of 5,000 annual FOIA disputes, tests U.S. open-records laws, as 30% of federal requests face delays, impacting 100,000 applicants yearly.