A US lobbying firm chief has filed a $57 million lawsuit against Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian federal government, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and US public affairs company DCI Group in a Washington DC federal court. The plaintiff, Karl Von Batten, alleges defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm him.
Court records confirm that summonses have been issued to all named defendants. Of the total sum, $36 million is sought from Tinubu and the Nigerian government, $18 million from DCI Group, and $3 million from Fani-Kayode.
Who is Karl Von Batten?
Von Batten leads a US lobbying firm that has previously worked on behalf of former Nigerian vice-president Atiku Abubakar, a well-known political rival of President Bola Tinubu. His firm has been active in pushing US authorities to release Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration records relating to past allegations involving Tinubu.
The development was reported by DW Africa in a Facebook post on Tuesday, October 6. None of the claims made in the lawsuit has been proven in court.
Fani-Kayode Rejects Allegations
Fani-Kayode, who served as Nigeria's aviation minister, has publicly rejected the allegations directed at him in the suit. No further detail on the nature of his denial was provided at the time of reporting.
The development comes amid the war of words between President Tinubu's government and Atiku Abubakar, a major opposition figure against Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Background: Atiku's Broader Accusations
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar called on President Tinubu to publish full details of NNPC's ₦11.2 trillion in other receivables from the Federation, including pipeline security spending. The former vice president named Tantita and the Chagoury family as contractors he said have ties to Tinubu's re-election effort, raising conflict of interest concerns.
The statement, issued by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council on October 4, 2026, also challenged Tinubu over his remarks on returning from a four-week stay in Europe. The lawsuit against Tinubu, the Nigerian government, Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group now adds a legal dimension to these political tensions, with the $57 million claim set to be tested in a US federal court.
