The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has requested permission from a United States District Court to submit sensitive law enforcement records regarding Nigerian President Bola Tinubu privately and under seal.

In a motion filed on August 20, 2026, before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by American researcher Aaron Greenspan, the FBI asked Judge Beryl Howell to allow an ex parte and in camera review of confidential declarations.

The law enforcement agency explained that full public disclosure of the requested materials—which include the complete investigative files and 1990s FBI Form 302 interview reports connected to Tinubu—could compromise investigative techniques and potentially endanger individual safety.

The FBI argued that it cannot publicly detail its specific reasons for withholding the sensitive documents without revealing the very information it seeks to protect.

The submission comes after Judge Howell previously rejected initial broad “Glomar” non-disclosure responses from the agencies, ordering federal authorities to process responsive non-exempt records while assessing valid statutory exemptions.