DEA Defends Withholding Records on Tinubu Investigation

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has defended its decision to withhold specific investigative records concerning an ongoing investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. In a court filing dated September 23, 2026, the US government explained that certain parts of the files were concealed to protect sources and investigative methods.

This case was initiated by American activist Aaron Greenspan, who filed under the Freedom of Information Act in a Washington DC court, seeking historical records related to investigations involving Tinubu and others. The DEA's latest filing serves as its defense for not releasing some files, stating that it provided sworn statements and a detailed index to justify the withholding under US freedom of information laws.

The DEA indicated that the files contain various investigation reports, including those labeled DEA-6, DEA-292, and DEA-210, and emphasized the high level of protection for confidential sources under US law, asserting that the need to protect this information outweighs public interest in its disclosure.