In a developing legal battle, Nigerian President,Bola Tinubu, has made an effort to thwart the release of records related to him by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other U.S. government agencies.
Court filings reviewed by the Peoples Gazette have revealed that Tinubu’s legal team in the United States has initiated proceedings to appear in an ongoing freedom of information action targeting these U.S. organizations, which could potentially shed light on the president’s real identity and decades-long activities.
One of Tinubu’s attorneys in the U.S., Christopher Carmichael, who previously represented him in a recent Chicago records case, filed this motion.
Dated October 18, 2023, the motion, according to the filings, states that Carmichael is a lawyer in good standing and seeks to participate in the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) lawsuit underway in Washington D.C.
The motion reads: “Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 83.2(c), Bryan A. Carey moves for the admission and appearance of attorney Christopher Carmichael pro hac vice in the above-entitled action.”
It goes on to state, “This motion is supported by the Declaration of Christopher Carmichael. As set forth in Mr. Carmichael’s declaration, he is admitted and an active member in good standing.”
The reasons behind Tinubu’s attempt to prevent U.S. agencies from complying with federal disclosure regulations remain unclear.
Christopher Carmichael, the attorney, did not immediately respond to requests for comments, and Tinubu’s lead lawyer in the U.S., Oluwole Afolabi, declined to comment on the case until it officially commences. Nevertheless, the legal team is working diligently to present a full argument before the October 31 deadline.
President Tinubu became aware of the lawsuit when The Gazette reported on September 11 that the FBI had agreed to provide 2,500 pages of response information concerning the Nigerian leader.
This disclosure followed a previous investigation into narcotics trafficking involving President Tinubu in the 1990s, which led to a federal court order in Chicago that compelled him to forfeit $460,000.
The FBI had announced its intention to release the records to Aaron Greenspan, the owner of PlainSite, a website advocating for anti-corruption and transparency in public service.
In addition to the FBI, other U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. State Department, Internal Revenue Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration, have signaled their readiness to release thousands of pages of records related to Bola Tinubu.
These legal maneuvers by President Tinubu follow his recent unsuccessful attempt to prevent a federal court in Chicago from disclosing his academic records to Atiku Abubakar, his prominent political rival in Nigeria. Ultimately, the school released the records, confirming that a certain Bola Tinubu was admitted in 1977, although they could not authenticate the certificate he used to run for office in Nigeria in June 2022.
The ongoing legal saga continues to raise questions and spark controversy surrounding President Tinubu’s undisclosed history and activities.
About Author
