*The United States District Court for the District of Columbia denies a motion by FOIA plaintiff Aaron Greenspan, seeking limited discovery from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act in the American country
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
The United States (US) District Court for the District of Columbia (DC) has denied a motion by FOIA plaintiff Aaron Greenspan seeking limited discovery from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the American country.
The court, in its October 30, 2026, ruling, determined that the proposed discovery concerning alleged cyberattacks on Greenspan’s Web site was not sufficiently relevant to the underlying FOIA dispute involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
NITDA highlights role of digital infrastructure in Nigeria’s economic growth
Attorney Christopher W. Carmichael said: “The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it.
“By denying the request for discovery against President Tinubu and DCI Group, the Court reinforced the importance of keeping this litigation focused on the issues properly before it.”
The Court also denied a separate motion by nonparty Karl Von Batten seeking permission to file an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief, as well as Greenspan’s related request for judicial notice.
Brsides, the Court denied Greenspan’s motion for summary judgement.
Speaking on the ruling, Attorney Oluwole Afolabi, stated: “The Court also denied the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgement and rejected a separate request to introduce an amicus brief.
“While the underlying FOIA issues remain before the Court, these rulings establish important procedural boundaries and clarify which matters are appropriate for consideration in this litigation.”