The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration say they need 90 more days to complete their searches of investigative reports on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The agencies, according to PM News, say they hope to submit the joint report on or before July 31 although a United States District Court for the District of Columbia had given them till May 2nd to release the records.
The order followed a Freedom of Information request by an American, Aaron Greenspan seeking the release of documents connected to a 1990s investigation of a drug case that allegedly involved President Tinubu and others.
Judge Beryl Howell on April 8 rejected the agencies’ use of “Glomar response”—a legal provision allowing them to neither confirm nor deny the existence of certain records.
It held that their justification for the non-disclosure was lacking in merit.
Greenspan raised an objection to the 90-day extension being sought by the two agencies. He rather said only a 14-day extension be given to the agencies.
.In a joint status signed by him, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, Jr. and Assistant Attorney M. Jared Littman, they said, “Under the court’s order…, the FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety 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.”
“Based on the years-long delay already caused by defendants, and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, the 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.”
