Nigeria allegedly spends $750,000 monthly on Washington lobbying; court filing shows

A United States federal court filing has alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s government pays $750,000 monthly to DCI Group AZ, LLC, an affiliate of American lobbying and public affairs firm DCI Group.

According to SaharaReporters, the allegation appeared in documents submitted by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan on October 8, 2026.

Greenspan made the claim while seeking judicial notice of public records in his ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit involving US government agencies and records concerning Tinubu.

The filing states: “DCI Group AZ, LLC is paid $750,000 per month by Intervenor’s government, and on August 5, 2026 an account it manages published a post attacking Plaintiff in writing.”

Greenspan also alleged that his website, PlainSite, suffered repeated cyberattacks while he pursued the records.

Tinubu intervened in the lawsuit in October 2023, citing privacy concerns involving confidential tax and law-enforcement documents.

In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration could not maintain blanket refusals to confirm or deny whether responsive records existed.

However, the ruling did not establish criminal wrongdoing by Tinubu.

The latest filing seeks further examination of documents and alleged attacks connected to Greenspan’s legal proceedings.

Importantly, the filing does not establish that Nigeria financed or directed the alleged online attacks, or that the reported payments were connected to them.

The $750,000 monthly payment remains an allegation contained in the court filing, rather than a judicial finding.

Greenspan is seeking permission to pursue limited discovery as the litigation continues before the federal court.