Breaking: Atiku's US Lobbyist Files $57m Lawsuit Against Tinubu, FFK, Others, Reason Emerges
- A US lobbying firm head filed a $57 million lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian government, Femi Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group in a Washington DC federal court
- Karl Von Batten, who heads a firm that has worked for Tinubu's political rival Atiku Abubakar, alleged defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and harm him
- The $57 million claim is split across the defendants, with Tinubu and the Nigerian government facing the largest share of $36 million
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A US lobbying firm chief has dragged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian federal government, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and US public affairs company DCI Group before a federal court in Washington DC, over allegations of defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm him.
The plaintiff, Karl Von Batten, is seeking a total of $57 million in damages. 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.
Source: Twitter
DWAfrica reported the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, October 6.
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, who is 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.
None of the claims made in the lawsuit has been proven in court.
Fani-Kayode rejects the 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 is coming amid the war of words between President Tinubu's government and Atiku Abubakar, a major opposition figure against Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
You should see DW Africa's report on Facebook here:
Atiku accuses Tinubu of pipeline contract fraud
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.
Source: Legit.ng
