President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has aligned with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in seeking additional time to address a court motion requesting the release of records related to drug trafficking allegations.
Tinubu’s legal team filed a notice with the U.S. District Court in D.C., seeking alignment with the defendants’ schedule in the case.
The filing, disclosed by Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a U.S. policy advisory and lobbying firm engaged by former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, indicates that Tinubu’s lawyers support a 10-day extension for responding to a summary judgment motion.
The notice, signed by attorneys Christopher W. Carmichael and Victor P. Henderson of Henderson Parks, LLC, stated their support for aligning the response deadlines as the defendants requested.
Despite the plaintiff opposing the extension and the defendant not objecting, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell denied the request for additional time.
The issue is part of Aaron Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, et al., Civil Action No. 23-1816 (BAH), ongoing for over three years, targeting records held by U.S. agencies on investigations involving Tinubu and alleged drug-trafficking activities.
Von Batten-Montague-York criticized the delay request, suggesting it could lead to political lobbying efforts in Washington, potentially using U.S.-Nigeria relations and security cooperation arguments against releasing the records. These assertions reflect the firm’s perspective and are not court-verified facts.
Historical asset-forfeiture proceedings have rekindled attention, particularly a $460,000 forfeiture linked to Tinubu from a U.S. federal investigation into a heroin-trafficking network in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The court ordered forfeiture was against the assets, not a criminal charge against Tinubu.
Tinubu has consistently denied drug trafficking involvement, asserting he was never legally implicated or charged with such offenses in the U.S.
The legal dispute over these records remains distinct from any criminal guilt determination and currently focuses on the timing and disclosure of government records while underlying allegations continue to be disputed.
With Judge Howell denying the extension, upcoming developments will follow as parties comply with court orders.
