Records that could reveal possible connections between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and a heroin trafficking network in the United States remain sealed more than a year after a federal judge ordered their release. This comes as Tinubu seeks a meeting with former President Donald Trump.

In April 2025, a court opinion mandated the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to search for and process records related to an investigation into Tinubu. These records were sought following Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that were denied by Biden-era officials in 2023.

Despite the court order, no Tinubu-related documents have been produced to date. Aaron Greenspan, who filed the FOIA requests, described the process as a "farce" in a May joint status report, stating that after four years he had "still not received a single produced page from Defendants [FBI and DEA] that contains the word ‘Tinubu.’"

Greenspan's filing further accused the defendants of extending litigation to protect the political interests of a foreign politician, which he said was contrary to Congress’s intent in passing the FOIA.

Nigeria’s ambassador to the U.S. recently indicated that a meeting between Tinubu and Trump could occur soon. Another Nigerian official claimed Tinubu secured a seat next to Trump at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in August 2026.

The records sought could fill gaps left by 1993 Department of Justice civil forfeiture records uncovered by Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin prior to Tinubu’s 2023 election. According to an affidavit, Tinubu allegedly opened a bank account using one of the organization’s addresses and transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars through accounts connected to the organization before nearly $2 million was seized by U.S. authorities.

Since the court order, the FBI and DEA have repeatedly requested extensions. Attorneys representing Tinubu have intervened to oppose the release of records on privacy grounds, according to filings tracked by Plainsight, a court-monitoring website developed by Greenspan.

Greenspan acknowledged the crucial role of David Hundeyin’s investigative work in uncovering these issues.

Sources