Fani-Kayode counters Atiku lobbyist’s $36m lawsuit with $100m claim

A dispute between Atiku Abubakar’s US-based lobbyist, Karl Von Batten, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has escalated into threatened multimillion-dollar lawsuits.

According to Vanguard, Von Batten’s lobbying firm says it plans to file a $36 million lawsuit against Fani-Kayode and President Bola Tinubu in a US federal court over alleged threats to kidnap and harm him.

Fani-Kayode denies the allegations and has announced plans for a $100 million libel and defamation lawsuit against Von Batten.

He also challenged the lobbyist to publish evidence supporting his claims and said he would seek his extradition to Nigeria.

As of Thursday, Vanguard reported that the proposed $36 million lawsuit had not been confirmed as filed, while all allegations remain disputed.