FBI seeks to keep records on Tinubu drug trafficking probe secret from US court
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has requested permission from a US court to submit a confidential declaration explaining its reasons for withholding certain records related to allegations linking President Bola Tinubu to a drug-trafficking investigation. The FBI filed this application on August 20 with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, stating it cannot publicly disclose the full basis for its decision. The agency invoked various exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act in response to requests for records concerning Tinubu from 1992 to 1993. The FBI claims that releasing the withheld information could reveal law enforcement investigation techniques and procedures, or potentially endanger individuals. This request follows a court order for the release of records, which Judge Beryl Howell had previously ruled the FBI and DEA improperly withheld, stating they failed to justify keeping secret whether Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation.
