The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has explained why some records from an old investigation linked to President Bola Tinubu cannot be released to the public.
The agency has asked a US court for permission to keep portions of the records confidential, citing the need to protect law-enforcement techniques and the safety of individuals connected to the investigation.
The request was contained in a motion filed on August 20, 2026, before the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The FBI asked the court to allow it to submit additional details privately to the judge in support of its decision to withhold parts of the records.
The agency wants to present the information ex parte and in camera, meaning it would be provided directly to the judge and kept outside the public court record.
According to the FBI, publicly explaining the reasons for withholding the information could expose the very details it is seeking to protect. It said some of the records could reveal investigative procedures and techniques used by law-enforcement authorities, while other information could potentially expose individuals to threats to their physical safety.
The filing was publicised on X by Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm.
The dispute followed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking FBI records connected to Tinubu. One request sought the Bureau’s complete file on the Nigerian President, while the other requested interview reports, known as Form 302s, relating to an FBI investigation from 1992 and 1993.
The FBI said it had relied on several FOIA exemptions to withhold portions of the records. The exemptions cover areas including personal privacy, confidential sources, law-enforcement techniques and information that could endanger an individual’s safety.
The Bureau told the court that its public filings could not fully explain its reliance on exemptions 7(E) and 7(F).
It is therefore seeking permission to supplement its public submission with a sealed declaration containing sensitive details for the judge’s review.
If the court grants the request, the FBI said it plans to submit the confidential declaration by August 28.
