{
  "id": 5384720,
  "title": "US court case against Tinubu not criminal — Presidency",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/us-court-case-against-tinubu-not-criminal-presidency",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T18:12:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/03/us-court-case-against-tinubu-not-criminal-presidency/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States federal court case involving records of President Bola Tinubu is a civil records-disclosure dispute, not a criminal matter, according to the Presidency. The clarification was made by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Thursday. The case, filed in 2023, stems from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted by Aaron Greenspan in 2022 seeking records related to Tinubu. The case was initially filed in 2023 after agencies withheld or declined to confirm certain records. During proceedings, the defendants used the 'Glomar defence', which means they cannot deny or admit the existence of an investigation, leading to summary judgment in favor of the CIA, EOUSA, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service. Tinubu, acting on legal advice, also invoked FOIA Exemption 7(C). The case, which started 23 years after an FBI records check found no criminal records against Tinubu, involves the release or withholding of documents, with the court determining the legitimacy of redactions. The Presidency urges the media and public to distinguish verified court proceedings from partisan speculation.",
  "summary": "The Presidency has clarified that the ongoing Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, case involving records relating to President Bola Tinubu before a United States federal court is a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case. The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on […] US court case against Tinubu not…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Tinubu’s US record dispute is a civil matter — Presidency",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/tinubus-us-record-dispute-is-a-civil-matter-presidency-5392402",
        "published": "2026-09-03T18:42:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "US court case on Tinubu’s past forfeiture is civil, not criminal matter – Presidency",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/us-court-case-on-tinubus-past-forfeiture-is-civil-not-criminal-matter",
        "published": "2026-09-03T18:48:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Trust",
        "title": "Why Tinubu doesn’t want his US records released – Presidency",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/why-tinubu-doesnt-want-his-us-records-released-presidency",
        "published": "2026-09-03T18:59:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ripples Nigeria",
        "title": "Presidency insists Tinubu is not facing criminal trial in US records case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/presidency-insists-tinubu-is-not-facing-criminal-trial-in-us-records",
        "published": "2026-09-03T19:46:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}