The Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) has declined a request by Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health counsellor, to release file on the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 presidential election and now Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Tinubu.
IgbereTV recalls that Guterman had asked the FBI to shed more light on Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture following a drug trafficking case he had in the United States of America in 1993.
Taking to his verified Twitter handle on Friday, the health counsellor disclosed his request was rejected because, according to the FBI, “the existence of files on third-party individuals will neither be confirmed or denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy”.
He, however, promised to consider his next plan of action, which he failed to disclose in his tweet.
“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 or 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,” he wrote.
The letter reads in part:
“Dear Jeffrey Guterman:
“This acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the FBI. The FOIPA Request Number listed above has been assigned to your request. Below you will findinformation relevant to your request. Please read each paragraph carefully.
“You have requested records on one or more third party individuals. Please be advised the FBI will neither confirm nor deny the existence of such records pursuant to FOIA exemptions (b)(6) and (b)(7)(C),5 U.S.C. §§ 552 (b)(6) and (b)(7)(C). The mere acknowledgement of the existence of FBI records on third party individuals could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. This is our standard response to such requests and should not be takento mean that records do, or do not,exist.
“As a result,your request has been closed. Please visit www.fbi.gov/foia and select “Requesting FBI Records” for more information about making requests for records on third party individuals (living or deceased) .
