US Court Issues Ultimatum To Release ‘Tinubu Drug-trafficking Records

A United States federal judge has given the US Department of Justice (DOJ) four additional days to comply with an order concerning records held by the Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) relating to allegations involving President Bola Tinubu.

US District Judge Beryl Howell reportedly set August 21, 2026, as the new deadline after US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, sought a 10-day extension to comply with the court’s directive.

The development was disclosed by Von Batten-Montague-York, a US-based policy advisory and lobbying firm hired by the presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar.

According to the firm, Judge Howell cited the length of time the case had remained pending, noting that it had been before the court for more than three years.

The judge’s decision to grant only four additional days effectively shortens the extension sought by Pirro and places the DOJ under a fresh deadline to act on the records.

It was reported that the documents being sought reportedly relate to past US investigations and records concerning allegations of drug trafficking and financial activities linked to Tinubu.

However, the existence of records or an order concerning their release does not, in itself, establish that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence.

Tinubu has consistently denied wrongdoing and has never been criminally convicted of drug trafficking in the United States.

Reacting to the latest development, Von Batten-Montague-York welcomed what it described as renewed efforts by Pirro and the DOJ to comply with the court order.

“We deeply appreciate US Attorney Pirro and the DOJ’s renewed motivation to release these documents, and we agree with Judge Howell. This case has been pending for three years. The time to release the Tinubu drug-trafficking files is now,” the firm said in a post attributed to its representative.

The firm further argued that Washington’s strategic relationship with Nigeria should not prevent the release of records that are subject to a judicial directive.

“As President Trump has indicated, our shared interests with Nigeria do not mean supporting an alleged drug trafficker,” it added.

The controversy is rooted in a long-running dispute over records connected to allegations surrounding Tinubu’s activities and financial dealings in the United States in the 1990s.

US court records from that period show that $460,000 connected to accounts associated with Tinubu was forfeited to the US government in a civil forfeiture proceeding. The forfeiture order stated that the money constituted proceeds of narcotics trafficking or was involved in transactions prohibited under federal money-laundering laws.

Tinubu’s lawyers and political allies have repeatedly stressed that the forfeiture proceeding was an in rem civil action against the money, rather than a criminal prosecution against Tinubu personally.

They have also maintained that Tinubu was not arrested, indicted or convicted for a drug-trafficking offence in the United States.

The fresh push for disclosure comes as political attention intensifies ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with Tinubu seeking another term in office under the umbrella of All Progressive Congress (APC).

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