On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) submitted a Joint Status Report to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, requesting a 90-day extension to produce investigation records related to an alleged 1990s drug case involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The plaintiff, Aaron Greenspan, an American and founder of the legal transparency platform PlainSite, opposed the proposal, advocating for a 14-day deadline to deliver the records and demanding unredacted versions of already-identified documents within one week.
The court, presided over by Judge Beryl Howell, had previously ordered the FBI and DEA on April 8, 2025, to search for and process non-exempt records responsive to Greenspan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, with a compliance report due by May 2, 2025 (ECF No. 47). Greenspan had filed 12 FOIA requests between 2022 and 2023, seeking information on a Chicago-based drug ring allegedly active in the early 1990s. The requests specifically targeted records related to Tinubu and three other individuals: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
Initially, the FBI and DEA responded to Greenspan’s requests with “Glomar responses,” neither confirming nor denying the existence of the requested records. However, Judge Howell ruled these responses inappropriate, compelling the agencies to conduct searches for responsive, non-exempt, and reasonably segregable records. The FOIA requests in question include FBI Request Nos. 1588244-000 and 1593615-000, and DEA Request Nos. 22-00892-F and 24-00201-F.
In the Joint Status Report, signed by Greenspan and defense attorneys Edwards Martin, Jr. and Jared Litman, the FBI and DEA stated they have initiated searches for the requested records and anticipate completing the process within 90 days. They proposed submitting a follow-up joint status report to the court by July 31, 2025, to provide an update on their progress.
Greenspan, however, sharply contested the 90-day timeline, arguing that the agencies failed to provide a valid rationale for the delay, especially given that many responsive documents have already been identified. He proposed that the FBI and DEA produce unredacted versions of these identified documents by the following week and complete the production of all remaining records within 14 days. Greenspan further suggested a joint status report deadline of May 31, 2025, to ensure swifter resolution. He also noted his intent to seek reimbursement for litigation costs, including a $402.00 filing fee and $38.22 for certified mail postage, totaling $440.22.
The report detailed the procedural history, stating: “Pursuant to the Court’s order, the defendants FBI and DEA must search for and produce non-exempt records responsive to the plaintiff’s FOIA requests. The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days. Given the years-long delay already caused by the defendants and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, the plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or, at the very least, produce unredacted versions of the already-identified documents by next week, with the remainder completed in 14 days.”
The ongoing dispute underscores broader tensions surrounding federal agencies’ compliance with FOIA obligations and the balance between transparency and investigative discretion. The court’s next steps will determine the timeline for the release of the records and the resolution of Greenspan’s demands for expedited action.
