BREAKING NEWS | UNITED STATES
Tinubu Asks US Court to Reject Greenspan’s Bid to Introduce Additional Records in FBI, DEA Case
President challenges transparency activist’s latest application as legal battle over historical law-enforcement records continues in Washington
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked a United States federal court to reject an application by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan to introduce additional records in an ongoing legal battle over historical investigative documents held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Tinubu’s legal team filed its opposition on October 15, 2026, before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging Greenspan’s request for the court to take judicial notice of additional public records relating to alleged hacking activities, criminal proceedings and media reports.
The latest dispute adds another layer to the legal battle over access to historical US law-enforcement records concerning investigations involving Tinubu and Nigerian businessman Abubakar Agbele in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
TINUBU’S LAWYERS CHALLENGE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE
Greenspan filed his application on October 8, seeking to have the additional materials considered in support of a separate request for permission to pursue limited discovery from Tinubu.
Discovery is a legal process through which parties seek relevant information or documents from others involved in litigation.
However, Tinubu’s lawyers argued that Greenspan’s application was filed too late, noting that it came more than a week after his reply in support of the discovery request.
The legal team also argued that approximately 176 pages of additional materials referenced in the application had been available earlier and should have been included in Greenspan’s previous submissions.
Tinubu’s lawyers further challenged the use of media reports and allegations contained in court documents, maintaining that the existence of a news report or legal filing does not establish the truth of the claims it contains.
HACKING ALLEGATIONS FEATURE IN THE DISPUTE
In his October 8 application, Greenspan asked the court to consider records concerning an alleged hacking campaign targeting climate activists and criminal proceedings involving Israeli nationals Amit Forlit and Aviram Azari.
The materials cited include proceedings in which Forlit faced US charges relating to alleged computer hacking and wire fraud, while Azari pleaded guilty to offences including conspiracy to commit computer hacking and wire fraud and was sentenced to 80 months in prison in 2023.
Greenspan argued that the court could take notice of the existence and contents of the records without treating every allegation in them as proven.
His filing also referenced allegations concerning the transfer of information obtained through hacking to a Washington-based lobbying firm. DCI Group has denied allegations of involvement in hacking, describing them as false and unsubstantiated, according to reporting cited in the court dispute.
Tinubu’s lawyers contend that these materials do not establish the connection Greenspan seeks to draw in his application.
THE BIGGER BATTLE OVER FBI AND DEA FILES
The latest application forms part of a broader Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit through which Greenspan is seeking access to historical records held by US law-enforcement agencies.
The case has generated significant attention because of its connection to records concerning Tinubu and a 1993 US civil forfeiture proceeding involving approximately $460,000 held in an account associated with him.
In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA could not rely on their earlier refusal to confirm or deny the existence of responsive records under the circumstances before the court. The agencies were subsequently required to search for and process records that were not exempt from disclosure.
That ruling did not order the wholesale release of every document, nor did it establish the truth of allegations associated with the historical investigation. The agencies have continued to defend the withholding or redaction of information they consider protected under US law.
The current dispute therefore concerns not only access to the records but also what additional materials the court should consider and whether Greenspan should be permitted to pursue limited discovery from Tinubu.
NO RULING ON THE LATEST REQUEST
As of October 16, 2026, the latest reports indicate that Tinubu’s legal team has opposed Greenspan’s application. The available reports do not establish that the court has ruled on the request.
The immediate question is whether the court will accept the additional materials for the purpose proposed by Greenspan and whether those materials will support his separate bid for limited discovery.
The outcome could shape the next stage of the continuing legal dispute over access to historical FBI and DEA records, although it would not, by itself, determine the truth of allegations contained in the disputed documents.