FBI confirms Tinubu was subject of US criminal investigation in 1990s

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed in a sworn court declaration that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation involving drug-trafficking crimes in the early 1990s.

The disclosure was contained in a declaration filed on August 28, 2026, before the US District Court for the District of Columbia as part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case seeking access to historical FBI records relating to Tinubu.

The FBI said the records being sought were compiled in furtherance of its investigation of multiple individuals for drug-trafficking crimes. The agency also acknowledged that the court had previously determined that there had been an official acknowledgement of an investigation involving Tinubu.

The latest development has revived a long-running dispute over Tinubu’s FBI records, which has been the subject of litigation in the United States for several years.

The case originated from FOIA requests filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who sought records from US law-enforcement agencies relating to investigations connected to a Chicago-based drug-trafficking operation in the early 1990s.

Among the documents requested were Tinubu’s entire FBI file and FBI Form 302 interview records relating to an FBI case covering the period between 1992 and 1993.

The dispute reached a significant stage in April 2025 when US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and the US Drug Enforcement Administration could no longer rely on what is known as a “Glomar response” to refuse to confirm or deny the existence of records concerning Tinubu.

The court subsequently directed the agencies to search for and process records that were not exempt from disclosure under US freedom-of-information laws.

However, the court ruling did not establish that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence, nor did it amount to a criminal conviction or finding of criminal guilt against the Nigerian president.

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That distinction remains central to the latest controversy. The FBI’s declaration confirms the existence and official acknowledgement of an investigation, but the publicly available material does not by itself establish that Tinubu was convicted, prosecuted or found guilty of drug trafficking.

The FBI has also continued to withhold or redact portions of the records, citing exemptions under US law relating to personal privacy, confidential sources, law-enforcement techniques and information that could potentially endanger individuals.

Tinubu’s legal team has challenged further disclosure of some of the records, arguing that privacy and other legal protections should be respected.

A member of the president’s US legal team, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wole Afolabi, has also argued that an investigation does not automatically establish criminal culpability. He maintained that if US authorities had found sufficient evidence to prosecute Tinubu for a criminal offence, the appropriate legal process would have followed.

The renewed controversy has also become intertwined with Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, particularly because the Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, which is working for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has publicised developments surrounding the records.

The firm said it obtained a large volume of documents from the FBI and was reviewing and redacting some of the material before making further information public.

Its activities have drawn criticism from the Nigerian Presidency, which has accused the firm of presenting political claims as though they were official positions of the US government.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described the campaign surrounding the records as politically motivated and accused Atiku’s camp of attempting to use historical US records as political leverage ahead of the 2027 election.

Dare said publicly available filings under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act showed that Atiku had engaged Von Batten-Montague-York under a 12-month agreement reportedly valued at $1.2 million.

He argued that statements from the lobbying firm should not be interpreted as statements from the US government and rejected what he described as attempts to portray political advocacy as an official American intelligence assessment.

The Presidency has particularly challenged claims attributed to the lobbying firm concerning alleged intelligence findings, insisting that the firm is a commercial lobbying organisation and not an agency of the US government.

The controversy comes amid renewed efforts to obtain and release the historical FBI and DEA records concerning Tinubu, with the courts still determining what information can legally be disclosed.

The FBI’s latest sworn declaration is therefore significant because it removes ambiguity over one narrow but important issue: US authorities officially acknowledge that Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation connected to a broader drug-trafficking investigation in the early 1990s.

However, the declaration should not be interpreted as an FBI finding that Tinubu committed drug trafficking.

The available court material establishes that an investigation existed and that records were created in connection with it, while questions about the substance of those records, the outcome of the investigation and the legal significance of the information remain subject to the ongoing FOIA proceedings.

The development is likely to intensify political debate in Nigeria as the 2027 presidential election approaches, with Tinubu’s supporters and opponents expected to continue debating the significance of the historical US records.

For now, the clearest position from the publicly disclosed material is that Tinubu was officially acknowledged as a subject of a US criminal investigation in the 1990s, but the records disclosed so far do not establish a criminal conviction or prove that he committed a drug-trafficking offence.

FBI confirms Tinubu was subject of US criminal investigation in 1990s

16-year-old in police custody over alleged killing of 20-year-old in Cross River

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested by the Cross River State Police Command over the alleged stabbing death of a 20-year-old man, Uwem Daniel Akpan, following a reported misunderstanding in Awi community, Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, at Peters Street, Awi, where the teenager and the deceased were reportedly neighbours and lived in the same compound.

According to reports, the disagreement between the two escalated before Akpan was allegedly stabbed. The precise circumstances that led to the confrontation, however, remain under investigation by the police.

Akpan was rushed to the Naval Reference Hospital, Calabar, after sustaining the stab injury. Medical personnel at the hospital reportedly confirmed him dead on arrival.

His remains were subsequently recovered by members of his family, according to the police.

The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the arrest of the teenage suspect in a statement issued by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah.

The police said the 16-year-old was in custody and assisting investigators as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and the alleged involvement of the suspect.

The identity of the teenager has not been disclosed by the authorities because he is a minor.

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The police said the case was being processed for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Calabar, where detectives are expected to conduct further investigation and take appropriate legal action in accordance with the law.

The command said investigators would examine the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and determine what led to the fatal incident.

The police have not announced any charge against the teenager, as the investigation is still ongoing.

The command also appealed to residents of Awi and surrounding communities to remain calm and avoid any form of jungle justice or retaliation while the authorities investigate the case.

Police authorities stressed that the circumstances surrounding Akpan’s death would be thoroughly investigated and that further information would be made public as relevant facts emerge.

The incident has raised renewed concerns about disputes between young people escalating into fatal violence, particularly where disagreements are not resolved before turning physical.

For now, the 16-year-old suspect remains in police custody, while detectives continue efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death of Akpan.

The police have assured members of the public that the investigation will be conducted in accordance with the law and that any further developments will be communicated as the case progresses.

16-year-old in police custody over alleged killing of 20-year-old in Cross River

Lagos police deny tear-gassing pensioners as #EndBadGovernance demands CP’s sack

The Lagos State Police Command has denied allegations that its officers tear-gassed pensioners during a protest at the Lagos House in Ikeja, even as the #EndBadGovernance movement and other civil society groups demanded the immediate removal of Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai over the disputed incident.

The controversy followed Monday’s protest by members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), who gathered at the Lagos State Government premises in Alausa to demand the implementation of approved pension increases, wage awards, payment of arrears and other outstanding retirement benefits.

Several reports published after the protest alleged that police officers deployed tear gas to disperse the elderly protesters. Premium Times, Vanguard, The Guardian and other news organisations reported that tear gas was used during the demonstration. (Premium Times Nigeria)

However, the Lagos Police Command has strongly rejected the allegation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the reports as “false and misleading”, insisting that no tear-gas canister was fired throughout the protest.

The police said approximately 500 pensioners participated in the demonstration, which began at about 8:30am on Monday, August 31, and was led by NUP Lagos chairman Michael Omishade and Nigeria Labour Congress chairperson Agnes Funmi Sesse. (Punch)

According to the command, officers from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and various divisional headquarters were deployed to maintain law and order and protect the protesters and other members of the public.

The police said the security operation was coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.

The command further stated that the protesters were addressed by the Lagos State Governor’s Chief of Staff, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which the NUP executives proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.

The meeting reportedly lasted about three hours, while the protesters later dispersed peacefully at about 4:30pm. The police said the area remained calm and that no adverse incident was recorded.

The command also challenged the authenticity of a photograph circulated on social media that purportedly showed security personnel tear-gassing the pensioners.

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According to the police, the photograph was AI-generated and did not represent what happened at the protest venue. The command urged the public to be cautious about sharing unverified material capable of creating tension or undermining confidence in security agencies.

Despite the police denial, the #EndBadGovernance movement in Lagos has maintained its allegation and called for the immediate sack of Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai.

In a statement signed by Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji and Hassan Taiwo Soweto, the movement described the alleged treatment of the elderly protesters as an “unpardonable assault” and demanded the arrest and prosecution of police personnel allegedly involved.

The group also demanded an unreserved public apology from the Lagos State Government and urged the administration to resolve the pensioners’ grievances over pension adjustments, wage awards, arrears and other outstanding entitlements.

The movement argued that retirees who spent decades serving the state should not be subjected to force while demanding benefits they believe are legitimately owed to them.

It also accused the Lagos State Police Command of what it described as a recurring pattern of alleged assaults on civil liberties, linking Monday’s controversy to an earlier January 28 anti-eviction protest in Alausa.

According to the movement, police officers allegedly used tear gas and excessive force during that protest, while some protesters were arrested and their belongings seized.

The group said the alleged treatment of pensioners showed what it described as a broader pattern of using police force against citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly.

The #EndBadGovernance movement therefore called on Amnesty International, human rights organisations and other concerned citizens to investigate what it described as a dangerous erosion of civil liberties in Lagos.

It also demanded the establishment of an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the conduct of the Lagos State Police Command in managing public protests and demonstrations from August 1, 2024, to date.

The proposed panel, according to the group, should examine allegations of police violence, arrests, intimidation, tear-gas deployment and other forms of excessive force, including the January 28 protest and Monday’s demonstration by pensioners.

It further called for any officers or authorities found responsible for violations to face appropriate disciplinary or criminal sanctions.

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) have also called for the removal and prosecution of the Lagos police commissioner over the alleged tear-gassing of the retirees.

The groups accused the police of using force against elderly citizens who were demanding payment of outstanding pension adjustments, wage awards and other benefits. (Sahara Reporters)

Meanwhile, Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, also condemned the alleged use of tear gas against the pensioners and called for the identification, arrest, investigation and prosecution of officers allegedly responsible.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has similarly called for action over reports that police officers used tear gas during the demonstration, demanding that the officers allegedly involved be identified and prosecuted.

The controversy is rooted in a longstanding disagreement between some Lagos pensioners and the state government over the implementation of pension increases, consequential adjustments, wage awards and payment of arrears.

The retirees had reportedly given the Lagos State Government an August 31 deadline to address some of their outstanding demands before staging Monday’s demonstration. (Vanguard News)

The Lagos State Government has, however, defended its record on pension matters.

The government said the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) had paid N168.2 billion to more than 48,000 retirees since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state.

It also said that between May 2019 and August 2026, about N92 billion had been disbursed in accrued rights to more than 25,000 retirees.

The government has described its pension record as one of the strongest in the history of Lagos State and said it remains committed to the welfare of retired public servants.

The retirees, however, continue to insist that specific pension adjustments, wage awards and arrears remain unresolved.

The conflicting accounts over Monday’s protest have now shifted the focus from the pensioners’ demands to the conduct of the security personnel deployed at the scene.

While multiple reports said tear gas was used against the protesters, the police have categorically denied firing any tear gas and have disputed the authenticity of a widely circulated photograph supporting the allegation. (Premium Times Nigeria)

The competing claims make an independent investigation potentially significant in determining exactly what happened during the protest and whether any police officers used excessive force.

For the pensioners, however, the underlying dispute remains their demand for the implementation and payment of retirement benefits they say are outstanding.

With civil society groups demanding the removal of the Lagos Commissioner of Police, prosecution of officers allegedly involved and an independent inquiry into the handling of protests, pressure is mounting on authorities to provide a clear account of Monday’s events.

The controversy also renews wider concerns over police conduct, peaceful protest and civil liberties in Lagos, particularly the balance between maintaining public order and protecting citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Lagos police deny tear-gassing pensioners as #EndBadGovernance demands CP’s sack