The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has defended its decision to withhold parts of investigative records connected to an ongoing case involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
In a court filing dated September 23, 2026, the US government argued that the withheld information was protected under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions designed to safeguard confidential sources and law enforcement investigative methods.
The case was brought before a federal court in Washington, DC, by American activist Aaron Greenspan, who sought historical records held by United States government agencies concerning investigations involving Tinubu and other individuals.
In its latest filing, the government said the DEA had provided sworn declarations and a detailed index explaining why portions of the requested records could not be disclosed.
According to the filing, the DEA records include various investigative reports produced during agency operations, including documents identified as DEA-6, DEA-292 and DEA-210.
The government maintained that information capable of identifying confidential sources receives significant protection under US freedom of information law.
“Due to the significant protections afforded to prevent the disclosure of this type of information,” the DEA said, it determined that the interest in protecting the information outweighed the public interest in releasing it.
The filing forms part of the ongoing legal dispute over the release of the records. The government’s position does not, by itself, establish the substance of any allegations contained in the withheld documents or indicate whether they relate to any wrongdoing by Tinubu.
The case centres on whether the DEA and other United States agencies are legally entitled to withhold portions of the requested records under applicable FOIA exemptions.
The court is expected to consider the government’s justification alongside Greenspan’s request for access to the documents.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
