Washington, DC – Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. a Republican lobbyist has intensified its campaign demanding the release of U.S. government records connected to allegations involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and claims of historical links to heroin trafficking investigations in Chicago.
According to the firm, US federal agencies under President Joe Biden repeatedly refused or delayed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records linking Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a 1990s Chicago heroin trafficking and money laundering network despite court order.
Transparency activist Aaron Greenspan filed multiple requests between 2022 and 2023 targeting the FBI, DEA, DOJ, and other agencies. Key FOIA numbers include 1588244-000, 1593615-000, 22-00892-F, and 24-00201-F. Agencies often responded with Glomar denials neither confirming nor denying records existed citing privacy and exemptions.
With President Donald Trump’s return to office, US agencies are expected to stop shielding foreign figures accused of smuggling drugs into the United States. Lobbying efforts are accelerating, with engagements planned next week alongside anti-drug organizations, religious leaders, and families impacted by heroin abuse and deaths linked to the Chicago trafficking network.
The requests center on a 1993 civil forfeiture case (United States v. Funds in Account No. 263226700 et al.) where the government alleged Tinubu controlled bank accounts holding proceeds from a Nigeria-based heroin ring operating in Chicago. The DOJ identified associates including Adegboyega Mueez Akande (alleged ringleader) and Abiodun Agbele. Tinubu forfeited approximately $460,000 in the settlement, though he faced no criminal conviction.
In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled the FBI and DEA’s blanket Glomar responses improper and “neither logical nor plausible,” ordering them to search for and release non-exempt records. The agencies later sought extensions, with delays persisting into 2026. The CIA received partial protection.
Lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York has shared over 60 pages of DOJ documents with the Trump administration, Congress, and staff. The firm plans further engagement with anti-drug groups, religious leaders, and families affected by heroin, arguing US agencies must not shield foreign leaders tied to drugs entering America.
This case revives long-standing questions about transparency, accountability, and the protection of American communities from international drug networks. Full unredacted releases could provide greater clarity on historical investigations.
