A United States-based advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has filed a $57 million federal lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and DCI Group.
The firm alleges defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten, in connection with his advocacy activities concerning US government records relating to Tinubu.
The lawsuit was filed on September 28, 2026, at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the firm and reports citing the federal court filing. The case is listed as Von Batten v. Tinubu et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-03374.
In a statement issued on Monday, the firm announced the legal action.
“On Monday, September 28, we filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and DCI Group for defamation and an alleged conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm Dr. Von Batten.”
The firm is seeking $36 million jointly from Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria, $3 million from Fani-Kayode individually, and $18 million from DCI Group, bringing the total damages sought to $57 million.
Von Batten-Montague-York said it initially kept the lawsuit private while arrangements were being made to serve the foreign defendants in accordance with the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).
The firm acknowledged that bringing claims against the Nigerian President and the Federal Government could face procedural and jurisdictional challenges because of sovereign immunity, but said it intended to pursue the case.
According to the firm’s account, the lawsuit stems from an alleged effort to silence its advocacy concerning US government records involving Tinubu, including records held by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The firm alleges that the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to defame Von Batten and threaten him with kidnapping and physical harm because of those activities. These allegations have not been established in court.
The case comes amid a wider dispute surrounding Von Batten-Montague-York’s advocacy and lobbying activities in Washington.
The firm has previously made allegations concerning attempts to obtain and publicise US records relating to Tinubu. BusinessDay reported that the firm was engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under a lobbying arrangement and had been involved in efforts surrounding historical US records concerning Tinubu. The newspaper also reported that allegations previously made by the firm about an alleged $3 million offer to its founder remained unproven.
Fani-Kayode had previously rejected allegations of threats against Von Batten and challenged the firm to provide evidence supporting its claims, according to reports published before the latest lawsuit.
The filing now places the dispute before a US federal court, where the allegations, jurisdictional questions and claims for damages can be addressed through the judicial process.
The lawsuit does not establish that President Tinubu, the Federal Government, Fani-Kayode or DCI Group committed the alleged acts. The claims remain allegations unless and until established through the court proceedings.
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