BAT Drug Saga:US Agencies To Release Investigation Reports Friday
US government agencies, including the FBI and State Department, are set to release investigation reports on Friday, May 2, related to a drug case allegedly involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 1990s.
This development follows a court ruling by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, which ordered the agencies to disclose documents under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by American activist Aaron Greenspan.
Agency reports say the court order, issued by Judge Beryl Howell, requires the FBI, State Department, IRS, DEA, US Attorneys’ Offices, and CIA to comply with the FOIA request. The lawsuit claims that these agencies failed to release documents within the required timeframe.
Greenspan’s lawsuit seeks information on alleged federal investigations into President Tinubu and three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele, who were reportedly linked to a 1990s drug trafficking ring.
Greenspan has further submitted 12 FOIA requests to six federal agencies between 2022 and 2023, targeting records associated with investigations in the Northern Districts of Indiana and Illinois.
While some redacted documents have been released, many remain classified, fueling speculation and debate, particularly in Nigeria.
President Tinubu has however, consistently denied any involvement in drug trafficking or wrongdoing.
Greenspan stated, “This is a win for government transparency and the public’s right to know. The American and Nigerian people deserve to know the full history of any prior investigations involving a sitting foreign president.”
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He was the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state who handed over to the Caretaker Committee currently in the Council.
samowailo@gmail.com
