A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., hired by former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has announced it is engaging the U.S. government over alleged human rights concerns in Nigeria. The firm claims the administration of President Bola Tinubu is engaging in political intimidation, arresting government critics, and weakening democratic freedoms ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday, the firm alleged that President Tinubu's government is increasingly displaying the behavior of a single-party dictatorship consolidating power through fear and intimidation. The statement noted that public figures and ordinary citizens who criticize the government are being arrested, detained, or charged with corruption.
The firm specifically referenced the ongoing legal challenges involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who it said was charged after publicly criticizing President Tinubu. It also mentioned businessman John Olatunde Ayeni, who reportedly faced legal pressure after criticizing the current government.
According to the statement, the common thread is becoming difficult to ignore: critics of the Tinubu government are increasingly being targeted. The firm also alleged that thousands of ordinary Nigerians with no public profile are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, or disappearing without international attention.
The firm warned that it would brief the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress on what it described as the growing weaponization of state institutions to silence dissent ahead of the next presidential election.
These claims come amid heightened political tension surrounding El-Rufai, who has spent 91 days in custody despite a Federal High Court ruling granting him 100 million naira bail in an alleged national security-related case. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had imposed strict bail conditions, including the requirement of a high-ranking civil servant surety and property documentation.
However, El-Rufai remains in detention due to a separate corruption case in which a Kaduna State High Court ordered that he be held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). His continued detention has sparked protests from family members, allies, and supporters at the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja, where demonstrators accused security agencies of violating court directives and denying him access to medical care and legal rights.
