The Presidency has moved to clear the air over a US court case involving records linked to President Bola Tinubu.
It said the matter is about access to government records, not a criminal case against the Nigerian president.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, gave the clarification in a statement.
The case was filed in 2023 by Aaron Greenspan after US agencies declined to release some records he requested.
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia later allowed Tinubu to join the case as an intervenor.
The Presidency stressed that the Tinubu FOIA case does not mean the president has been accused or found guilty of a crime.
“For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.”
The statement said some agencies relied on legal exemptions to withhold parts of the requested records.
The FBI and DEA later released 399 pages, although some sections were redacted under US law.
The Presidency said the remaining dispute concerns whether those redactions are lawful.
It also explained that Tinubu had asserted his rights under FOIA Exemption 7(C) on legal advice.
Meanwhile, Greenspan has until September 11, 2026, to respond to filings from the defendants and intervenor.
The FBI, DEA and Tinubu have until September 18, 2026, to respond.
The FOIA case will ultimately be decided by Judge Beryl A. Howell based on the law and evidence before the court.
The Presidency urged Nigerians and the media to separate verified court proceedings from political claims.
