Alleged drug trafficking: US DEA defends withholding Tinubu’s investigative files

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration DEA has defended its refusal to release some investigative records linked to a probe involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

The US government filed its response on September 23, 2026. It said the DEA withheld parts of the records to protect confidential sources and sensitive investigative methods.

The case is before a federal court in Washington, DC. It was filed under the Freedom of Information Act FOIA.

The US law allows members of the public to request records held by government agencies.

American activist Aaron Greenspan brought the case after requesting historical records from US agencies. His request covered investigations involving Tinubu and other individuals.

The latest court filing explains why the DEA refused to release some of the requested documents.

The government said the DEA submitted sworn statements and a detailed index to support its decision. The documents explain why the agency considers some information exempt from disclosure under US freedom of information laws.

The DEA said its files contain several investigative reports from its law enforcement operations.

The reports include documents identified as DEA-6, DEA-292 and DEA-210.

The agency said FOIA law strongly protects information that could identify confidential sources.

The DEA also argued that releasing such details could expose its sources. It said disclosure could also affect future law enforcement operations.

“Due to the significant protections afforded to prevent the disclosure of this type of information, DEA determined that the significance of exempting this type of information outweighed the relatively insignificant public interest in the disclosure of the information,” the agency said.