FBI declines Jeffrey Guterman’s request for release of Tinubu’s file, gives reason

The Federal Bureau of Intelligence, FBI, has rejected the application by an American, Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health c...

The Federal Bureau of Intelligence, FBI, has rejected the application by an American, Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health counsellor, asking it to release a file on Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Tinubu.

Guterman, in a tweet disclosing the development on Friday, said his request was rejected because, according to the FBI, “the existence of files on third-party individuals would neither be confirmed nor denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

Recall that the retired mental health counsellor had last month filed a request asking the FBI to release records about Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture on drug trafficking in the US.

However, the FBI told Guterman that his request submission did not meet their terms of service.

He wrote, “See below a copy of the letter I received today from the @FBI regarding my request, based on the Freedom of Information Act, for the FBI file on Bola Tinubu.

“My request was rejected because, according to the FBI, the existence of files on third-party individuals will neither be confirmed nor denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

“I found it noteworthy that in my online submission, I referred to Tinubu as “Bola Tinubu,” but in their letter, the FBI referred to him as TINUBU, BOLA AHMED. How would the FBI access the Ahmed part of his name? Again, I did not provide the Ahmed part of his name in my submission. Moreover, it is public knowledge that the FBI has a file on Tinubu for his $460,000 forfeiture to the US.

“The letter also states that if I received their response through standard mail (which I did), this is because my online submission did not meet their terms of service. According to the letter, my options are to (1) submit any questions by email or call their office, (2) administratively appeal their decision within 90 days of the date of their letter, and/or (3) seek dispute resolution by email.

“I will now consider my next plan of action.”