A Washington-based lobbying firm has announced plans to file a $36 million federal lawsuit against Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) in the United States.
Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., is a firm representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. It said that it has been “cleared and authorized” to proceed with the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
What Von Batten-Montague-York Claims
The lawsuit stems from alleged threats to kidnap and physically harm its principal, Dr Karl Von Batten. 
It attributes those threats to Fani-Kayode and describes them as part of an “organized criminal conspiracy involving the Nigerian Presidency.” The firm said the case against President Tinubu will test the limits of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. It will also test the head-of-state immunity while he remains in office.
The firm plans to base the complaint on District of Columbia tort law, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Von Batten-Montague-York said it expects to file the lawsuit next week. After filing, the firm intends to contact immigration authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union regarding Fani-Kayode’s travel and visa status in connection with the alleged threats.
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Fani-Kayode Threatens Von Batten With $100m Lawsuit
Femi Fani-Kayode has rejected the allegations. In a strongly worded statement, he denied making any threats of kidnapping or physical harm.
FFK challenged Von Batten to publicly release any evidence linking him, President Tinubu, or the Nigerian government to such threats.
He accused the firm of working on behalf of Atiku Abubakar to attack the Tinubu administration. He also threatened to seek at least $100 million in damages for what he called libellous and defamatory statements.
“Such unlawful and heinous practices are an abomination to God and to this government. Your delusions of grandeur must come to an end. Can a man who inflated a ceremonial unpaid education seat into a Trump government credential, then pulled down the post when the inflation was exposed, be taken seriously? I doubt it,” he wrote in an X post.
“You are nothing but a liar, a slanderer, a scammer, a coward, a bully, and a merchant of falsehood,” he added.
Fani-Kayode also indicated he would pursue legal action in Nigeria over alleged violations of cybercrime and criminal defamation laws, saying:
“You have been put on notice. From now on it is lawyer to lawyer. See you in court.”
The planned lawsuit comes amid the ongoing tension between the lobbying firm and the Nigerian government.
Von Batten has been actively pushing for the release of U.S. records related to historical drug-trafficking allegations involving Tinubu. A campaign that has drawn sharp criticism from Fani-Kayode and others.
As of now, the $36 million lawsuit has not yet been filed. The claims remain allegations that have not been proven in court, and President Bola Tinubu has not issued any personal statement or official response to the lawsuit announcement.
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