The U.S. State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have cited “unusual circumstances” as the reason for withholding Tinubu’s criminal and immigration records from the public until at least January 2026, according to court documents.
The controversy began when Aaron Greenspan, an American public disclosure activist, filed a request with multiple federal and local agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Department of Treasury, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
He is seeking an urgent release of President Tinubu’s immigration and criminal records.
Greenspan’s efforts led to the filing of a civil lawsuit before Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
Tinubu has maintained his innocence, denying any involvement in criminal activities during his lengthy residency in the United States.
Despite assertions of owning his identity, there have been indications suggesting he may have changed names and education records in the past.
The Nigerian president’s real identity and education records have raised questions due to omissions and contradictions that he has yet to explain to the public.
One notable discrepancy involves President Tinubu’s claim, under oath, to the electoral office INEC, that he attended the University of Chicago.
However, the university has disowned any association with him.
While Chicago State University confirmed that a Bola Tinubu attended the school in the 1970s, it did not clarify if it was the same individual who now serves as the Nigerian president.
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Intriguingly, documents from the university revealed that a person named Bola Tinubu, who attended during that period, was, in fact, female.
Moreover, President Tinubu stated under oath in 1999 that he attended primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Ibadan in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, these assertions vanished from his latest INEC application form ahead of the recent general elections in February.
No evidence has emerged to substantiate the existence of the primary school he claimed to have attended.
Adding further complexity to the situation, President Tinubu’s past involvement in a drug trafficking case in the United States has resurfaced.
Court documents from 1993 named him as a launderer of drug trafficking proceeds, leading to the forfeiture of $460,000 at the time.
These records have become an important element in the ongoing challenge to President Tinubu’s election as Nigeria’s president, currently being heard before a tribunal in Abuja.
Both the State Department and the FBI possess records that could shed light on important questions surrounding President Tinubu.
The State Department is believed to hold information about the individual who applied for a U.S. visa and traveled under the name Bola Tinubu in the 1970s, potentially revealing if it is the same person currently leading Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the FBI’s records could offer insights into how President Tinubu became involved in drugs in the United States and any other criminal charges he may have faced.
However, the U.S. authorities have cited “unusual circumstances” as grounds for refusing to release the records, prompting Aaron Greenspan’s lawsuit.
In response to the lawsuit, assistant U.S. attorney Jared Littman, representing the agencies involved, has requested a delay until August 28, 2023, to file a response.
