By Paul Joseph
A United States federal court has given the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) until September 18, 2026, to justify why certain records connected to an old investigation involving President Bola Tinubu should remain withheld from the public.
The development followed an application by the FBI seeking to prevent the release of documents linked to allegations of drug trafficking involving Tinubu.
Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the latest timeline on Friday, directing the agency to file its final response by September 18.
The court also set August 28 as the deadline for the defendants and an intervenor to respond to the plaintiff’s motion, while the plaintiff’s opposition and reply are due on September 11.
Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York said the FBI would need to persuade the court that the records contain sufficiently sensitive information to warrant keeping them from public disclosure.
The firm, which was recently retained by African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, said the FBI’s request for a private review indicated that the documents could contain sensitive material.
However, the allegations and claims referenced by the firm remain contested, and the court has yet to determine whether the records should be released.
The case has renewed public attention on the longstanding investigation involving Tinubu, with the September court deadlines expected to provide further clarity on whether the disputed FBI records could eventually become public.
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