Tinubu has asked a U.S. court to block FOIA requests for FBI and DEA records, citing privacy rights against political misuse.
President Bola Tinubu has asked a U.S. court to uphold its order allowing federal agencies to withhold certain records about him.
In a motion filed on September 4, 2025, before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Mr Tinubu, represented by lead counsel Wole Afolabi, argued that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by American activist Aaron Greenspan were designed to expose private details rather than scrutinize government conduct.
His lawyers cited the U.S. Privacy Act and FOIA Exemption 7(C), which shields law enforcement records from disclosure if it would cause an invasion of privacy. “The Nigerian public’s interest in an individual is not a basis for a FOIA request,” the filing stated.
Mr Greenspan, however, urged the court to dismiss the plea, accusing Mr Tinubu of targeting political opponents.
The court has not yet ruled on the president’s motion.