United States-based advocacy firm Von Batten-Montague-York has filed a $57 million federal lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, former Aviation Minister and current Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group.
The firm alleged defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and physically harm its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten.
In a statement issued on Monday, the firm said the lawsuit was filed on September 28, 2026, at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Announcement: 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 statement said.
According to the firm, the lawsuit seeks $36 million jointly from Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria, $3 million from Fani-Kayode individually and $18 million from DCI Group.
The firm said the filing was initially kept confidential to allow for proper service of process on the foreign defendants in accordance with the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).
The litigation stems from what Von Batten-Montague-York described as attempts to undermine its advocacy work concerning federal records relating to President Tinubu.
The firm also alleged that the reported threats against Von Batten were part of an organised effort involving the Nigerian Presidency to silence its activities.
The lawsuit names Tinubu and the Federal Government as defendants alongside Fani-Kayode and DCI Group, a Washington-based public affairs company.
The firm acknowledged that pursuing claims against a serving foreign head of state and a foreign government could raise questions relating to sovereign and head-of-state immunity under US law.
The allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been established by a court, and the defendants are entitled to respond to the claims.
The case was filed amid an increasingly public dispute between Von Batten and Nigerian political figures over the firm’s activities and its involvement in efforts to obtain records concerning Tinubu.
