Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has threatened to seek at least $100m in damages from US-based lobbyist Karl Von Batten after his firm announced a planned $36m lawsuit against Fani-Kayode and President Bola Tinubu.
Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying and advisory firm retained by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, announced the proposed action on Wednesday, September 23.
The firm said it would file the case next week at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that Von Batten had been threatened with kidnapping and physical harm.
It said Tinubu and Fani-Kayode would be defendants and indicated plans to approach immigration authorities in the US, UK and European Union over the alleged threats.
Fani-Kayode, in a response issued on Thursday, September 24, denied the allegations and challenged Von Batten to produce evidence linking him, Tinubu or the Federal Government to any threat.
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He also rejected an earlier claim that individuals allegedly acting for Tinubu had offered Von Batten a $3m bribe.
Fani-Kayode said he had addressed the allegations in an article published on September 22 and renewed his demand for evidence to be made public.
He subsequently threatened to sue Von Batten in the US for at least $100m over alleged defamatory statements and said he would pursue his extradition to Nigeria over alleged breaches of Nigerian cybercrime and criminal-defamation laws.
The latest dispute follows a separate US Freedom of Information Act case involving efforts by Von Batten’s firm to obtain government records relating to allegations concerning Tinubu’s past dealings with American authorities.
That records dispute is separate from the proposed $36m action, which concerns the alleged threats against Von Batten.
As of September 24, the $36m lawsuit had not been confirmed as filed in a US federal court, leaving the allegations on both sides unresolved.