A United States District Judge, Beryl Howell, has reportedly granted US Attorney Jeanine Pirro a four-day extension to comply with a court order concerning the release of records linked to longstanding allegations involving Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to information shared by Dr. Von Batten-Montague-York in a post on X, Judge Howell declined a request for an additional 10 days and instead gave the Department of Justice until August 21, 2026, to comply with the court’s directive.
The case, which has reportedly been before the court for more than three years, concerns records held by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Von Batten-Montague-York stated that the latest ruling represented renewed pressure for the release of the documents, arguing that the prolonged delay should come to an end.
“We deeply appreciate US Attorney Pirro and the DOJ’s renewed motivation to release these documents, and we agree with Judge Howell. This case has been pending for three years. The time to release the Tinubu drug-trafficking files is now,” he wrote.
He further argued that the strategic relationship between the United States and Nigeria should not prevent the disclosure of records if they are subject to lawful public release.
According to him, transparency and adherence to judicial orders should take precedence over political or diplomatic considerations.
The reported development follows earlier requests by Pirro and the Department of Justice for additional time to process and release the documents covered by the litigation. Judge Howell’s decision means the parties now face an August 21 deadline for compliance with the court’s order.
It is important to note that the existence of a court dispute over the release of records does not by itself establish the truth of allegations against President Tinubu. The matter concerns the disclosure of government documents, while any underlying allegations remain distinct from a judicial finding of criminal guilt.
Further updates are expected as the court-imposed deadline approaches and the relevant US authorities respond to the order.
