The Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) has declined the request by Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health counsellor, to release a file on Nigeria's President-elect, Bola Tinubu. Guterman's request made via the Freedom of Information Act was rejected because the FBI "does not confirm or deny the existence of files on third-party individuals due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
In a tweet disclosing the development, Guterman expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, claiming that the FBI has a file on Tinubu's alleged drug trafficking of $460,000 forfeiture in the US, which is public knowledge.
Guterman had filed a request for records on Tinubu's forfeiture in the US in September, but the FBI rejected it, stating that his application submission did not meet their terms of service. In his tweet, Guterman further explained that the FBI referred to Tinubu as "TINUBU, BOLA AHMED" in their letter of rejection, but he only referenced him as "Bola Tinubu" in his online submission, which raised concerns about how the FBI got the Ahmed part of his name.
In the letter of rejection, the FBI advised Guterman to explore other options such as submitting questions by email or calling their office, appealing their decision within 90 days, or seeking dispute resolution via email. Guterman confirmed that he would pursue his next course of action after considering all the available options.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, was recently elected as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria's ruling party. His victory in the primary election has led to debates about his suitability for office, with some opposition parties claiming that he has questionable sources of income.
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