U.S. Judge Rejects Tinubu’s 10-Day Extension Request, Sets August 21 Deadline for DOJ Records
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Grace Chidimma Ibe
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A United States federal judge has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s request for a 10-day extension in a Freedom of Information Act case involving the release of decades-old Department of Justice records linked to a 1990s civil forfeiture investigation.
U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of the District of Columbia granted only four additional days and set August 21, 2026, as the deadline for the parties to respond.
Tinubu had joined a motion filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking the 10-day extension, while U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro was also involved in the request.
Judge Howell rejected the full extension, pointing to the fact that the FOIA case has already remained pending for more than three years.
The records sought in the case relate to a 1990s civil forfeiture proceeding in which U.S. authorities alleged that funds in accounts linked to Tinubu were proceeds from a Chicago-based drug trafficking operation.
Tinubu surrendered approximately $460,000 in connection with a settlement in the civil forfeiture case. He was never criminally charged over the matter and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The lawsuit was filed by transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking access to non-exempt records held by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies.
Following the judge’s ruling, the parties are required to respond by August 21, bringing the long-running records dispute closer to a resolution.
