By Emmanuel Nduka
A United States-based advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has filed a $57 million federal lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Government, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and Washington-based public affairs company, DCI Group.
The firm said the suit, filed on September 28 at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, centres on allegations of defamation and an alleged conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten.
According to the firm, the lawsuit seeks $36 million jointly from Tinubu and the Federal Government, $3 million from Fani-Kayode individually and $18 million from DCI Group.
Von Batten-Montague-York said it initially kept the filing private while steps were being taken to serve the foreign defendants in accordance with US legal requirements.
The firm alleged that the actions against its founder were connected to his advocacy in Washington concerning US federal records relating to Tinubu.
It further alleged that threats against Von Batten formed part of an organised effort to intimidate him and halt his activities.
The suit names Tinubu, the Federal Government, Fani-Kayode and DCI Group as defendants, with the case registered as Von Batten v. Tinubu et al.
The court filing categorises the case under assault, libel and slander, while also raising issues relating to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
The firm acknowledged that its claims against Tinubu and the Nigerian government could face legal challenges because of sovereign immunity protections available to foreign governments under US law.
The allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been established by the court, and the defendants are expected to have an opportunity to respond to the claims.
The latest legal action adds to an increasingly public dispute between Von Batten-Montague-York and Nigerian political figures over the firm’s advocacy and efforts to obtain US federal records concerning Tinubu.
