An American transparency activist has asked a US federal court for permission to put limited written questions to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and obtain documents from a Washington lobbying firm retained by the Nigerian government, citing repeated cyberattacks on his legal research website that tracked key developments in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, filed the motion on September 9, 2026, in the US District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge Beryl A. Howell. The request seeks leave to serve six interrogatories, four requests for admission and one request for production on Tinubu, who is an intervenor in the case, plus a subpoena for documents from DCI Group AZ, L.L.C.
Greenspan does not claim Tinubu ordered the attacks and no court has made any such finding. He argues the pattern of the attacks, which began shortly after a major court ruling and repeatedly coincided with case deadlines and filings, justifies limited discovery to determine whether the intervenor or anyone acting on his behalf has knowledge of them.
According to Greenspan’s declaration supporting the motion, PlainSite has faced sustained distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks since April 2025. At peak intensity, mitigation systems recorded roughly one gigabit per second and 1.8 million packets per second from more than 110,000 source hosts.
In August 2026 some episodes drove the server load average above 500, far beyond the level of 100 that already signals severe degradation. Traffic signatures matched the Aisuru-Kimwolf botnet of compromised devices, but Greenspan stresses that identifying the tool does not identify who commissioned the attacks.
The attacks began three days after the court’s April 8, 2025 order directing the FBI and DEA to process and produce certain records. They recurred around later status reports, motions and deadlines. The heaviest August episode ran from August 6 to 9, immediately after an X account managed by DCI Group on behalf of Nigeria posted criticism of Greenspan, and continued around subsequent government and intervenor filings. Acute attacks ceased after August 31, 2026. Greenspan notes that correlation is not attribution but says the timing shows someone was monitoring the docket closely and had incentive to disrupt public access to case materials.
DCI Group registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act in December 2025 as an agent of the Republic of Nigeria through Aster Legal. The filing identifies engagement directed by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and discloses a $4.5 million payment covering the first six months of a $750,000-per-month arrangement. The firm’s stated work includes communicating Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christian communities and maintain US support against jihadist groups.
Greenspan seeks documents from the firm relating to him, PlainSite, the lawsuit, the August 5 X post and any communications about DDoS attacks or related services. He explicitly states he is not alleging DCI Group carried out the attacks.
Tinubu’s lawyers rejected an informal request for the discovery, arguing it would not be proper in a FOIA action, is unrelated to the issues in the case, and that discovery is not a tool of personal investigation. The FBI and DEA did not respond. Greenspan is not seeking a deposition.
The motion is connected to, but separate from, Greenspan’s main FOIA suit against the Executive Office for US Attorneys, the FBI and the DEA. That case seeks 1990s-era investigative records relating to Tinubu and others. Tinubu intervened to assert privacy interests. The agencies have produced hundreds of pages, some redacted, and both sides have filed summary-judgment motions. No ruling has been issued on the discovery request as of the latest available information.
The filing underscores that the existence of the attacks and their timing are drawn from server logs, mitigation reports and packet captures preserved by Greenspan. It does not establish responsibility on the part of Tinubu, the Nigerian government or DCI Group.
A story of courage, wonder, and the transformative power of self-belief; perfect for readers aged 10+ who love adventure. To place order: +234 806 130 3237 | +234 803 582 0870 OR Tap the link to grab a copy:https://www.zeekapublish.com/product/the-magical-life-of-anna
