US Court Sets August 21 Deadline for Release of Records Linked to Tinubu Drug Allegations

A United States federal judge has given the U.S. Department of Justice four additional days to comply with an order concerning records linked to historical drug-trafficking allegations involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected a request by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro for a 10-day extension and instead set August 21, 2026, as the new deadline, according to reports on the long-running Freedom of Information Act case.

The records are held by U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The case stems from FOIA requests filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who sought records concerning investigations from the early 1990s involving Tinubu and other individuals. The litigation has been pending for more than three years.

Pirro’s office had reportedly requested an additional 10 days to comply with the court’s directive. Judge Howell, however, granted only four additional days, moving the deadline to August 21.

The decision has been welcomed by Von Batten-Montague-York, a U.S.-based policy and lobbying firm that has been advocating for the release of the records.

The firm said the length of time the case has remained before the court justified the judge’s refusal to grant a longer extension.

The latest development comes after previous court proceedings in which Judge Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA could no longer rely on so-called “Glomar responses” to refuse to confirm or deny whether they possessed responsive records.

In an April 2025 ruling, Howell found that the agencies had not adequately justified keeping their responses secret.

The development took another turn on Wednesday after President Tinubu’s legal team reportedly joined the U.S. Justice Department’s request for additional time to respond to the court’s order.

According to reports, Tinubu’s legal team sought to align its response schedule with that of the U.S. government defendants.

The records sought relate to allegations arising from a historical U.S. investigation into a Chicago-based heroin trafficking organisation.

The controversy also involves a 1993 civil forfeiture of $460,000 by Tinubu to U.S. authorities. Reports have noted that the forfeiture was a civil proceeding and that Tinubu was not criminally charged or convicted of drug trafficking in connection with the matter.

Tinubu has previously denied wrongdoing and rejected allegations linking him to drug trafficking.

The August 21 deadline now puts the case at another critical stage.

If the deadline stands, the U.S. government is expected to take steps towards releasing records covered by the court’s order, subject to any applicable legal exemptions or further court action.

The case has attracted renewed attention in Nigeria as political parties and candidates begin preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with Tinubu expected to seek another term.

The controversy has also become politically charged, particularly following the involvement of the U.S.-based lobbying firm retained by opposition politician Atiku Abubakar.

Importantly, a court order requiring the release of investigative records does not itself establish that Tinubu committed a crime. The allegations remain disputed, and the records’ contents will need to be examined if and when they are released.