WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has filed an application asking Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for permission to submit a confidential declaration ex parte and under seal (in-camera judicial review) regarding withheld records on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The request forms the latest development in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan (founder of PlainSite), who is seeking U.S. law enforcement records from the 1990s involving alleged drug trafficking investigations.
Core Details of the FBI Application
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Confidential Declaration Request: The FBI asked the court to review its justification for withholding specific records in private. The bureau stated that providing a full explanation on the public docket would compromise sensitive law enforcement methods and potentially endanger individuals.
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Invoked FOIA Exemptions: The bureau cited specific statutory exemptions under U.S. FOIA law—including Exemptions 7(E) (law enforcement techniques and procedures) and 7(F) (physical safety of individuals)—to justify withholding portions of the files.
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Status of the Motion: Reports from lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York (engaged by opposition politician Atiku Abubakar) indicate the court granted permission for the private submission, setting an August 28 deadline for the FBI to file its confidential declaration.
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Legal Context: The private review allows the judge to inspect the undisclosed material directly to determine whether the FBI’s security and privacy justifications for withholding the documents meet legal standards under U.S. law.
