US Court has allowed private FBI review and set August 28 deadline in ongoing Tinubu records case.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that United States federal court has reportedly permitted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to submit disputed records connected to President Bola Tinubu privately for judicial review in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case.
Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York disclosed the development in a post on X on Friday.
According to the firm, Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FBI permission to provide the documents to the court in camera; a legal procedure that allows a judge to examine sensitive material privately without making it available to the public or other parties.
The firm said the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice and Tinubu had been given until August 28, 2026, to file arguments opposing the public release of the records.
“We have now been informed that US Court’s Judge Howell this morning granted the FBI permission to provide the court with the documents in private,” the firm stated.
It interpreted the court’s reported use of “and no later” in setting the deadline as an indication that further delays might not be entertained.
The lobbying firm claimed the FBI would now have to explain why the documents should remain withheld, including through declarations and supporting materials submitted privately to the judge.
It further alleged that the records could contain information relating to confidential informants and sensitive law-enforcement matters.
However, permission for an in-camera review does not establish the truth of any allegation against Tinubu. The procedure allows the court to assess whether the government has valid grounds under FOIA exemptions to withhold the material.
The latest reported order had not appeared on the publicly accessible court docket as of the time of filing this report. Consequently, details of the development currently rest primarily on the lobbying firm’s X post and should be treated as awaiting official docket confirmation.
The underlying case was instituted by American researcher Aaron Greenspan against several US agencies over FOIA requests seeking records relating to Tinubu and other individuals.
Publicly available case information confirms that Judge Howell granted in part and denied in part competing motions for summary judgment in April 2025, leaving disputes over some records unresolved.
The lobbying firm has campaigned for the documents to be released and has previously worked for former Nigerian vice-president Atiku Abubakar, a political rival of Tinubu.
The FBI recently sought permission to submit sensitive declarations ex parte and in camera in support of its argument that some of the requested records should remain confidential.
The agency’s decision to seek private review does not, by itself, confirm allegations of criminal wrongdoing. It indicates that the FBI believes publicly explaining its reasons for withholding the material could reveal information it considers protected.
The case remains pending, and no final order directing the disclosure of all contested records has been issued.
