By Sandra Kenneth
A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has formally accused Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, of threatening to kidnap and physically harm its principal, Dr. Karl Von Batten.
The alleged threats stem from the firm’s active advocacy surrounding the release of historical US law enforcement records regarding drug-trafficking allegations linked to President Bola Tinubu.
In a public statement issued via its verified X handle, the lobby group revealed that it has commenced official briefings with the US Department of State and submitted a petition to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding potential “transnational repression.”
“We have begun briefing the State Department concerning the Nigerian Presidency’s threat, through one of its ambassadors, to kidnap and physically harm Dr. Von Batten,” the firm stated.
The firm indicated that it is currently preparing a legal lawsuit against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, to hold the diplomat and the government accountable under international law.
Legal representatives for the firm noted that they intend to challenge traditional sovereign immunity claims under the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, citing federal statutes related to international terrorism and extraterritorial harassment.
The dispute highlights escalating tensions between President Tinubu’s political allies and the US advocacy firm, which continues to push US federal courts and agencies for the unsealing of government documents tied to the Nigerian president.
