Former Aviation Minister and Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has fired a legal warning at Karl Von Batten, a United States-based lobbyist working for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, threatening a $100 million defamation suit and an extradition bid.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode said he would drag Von Batten before a US court and demand at least $100 million in damages over what he described as libellous and slanderous claims against his person.
The ambassador also said he would pursue Von Batten’s lawful extradition from America to Nigeria to answer for alleged violations of the country’s cybercrime laws and criminal defamation.
The threat followed Von Batten’s announcement that his firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., had been cleared to proceed with a $36 million lawsuit against Fani-Kayode and President Bola Tinubu.
According to the lobbyist, the suit will be filed next week in a US district court in Columbia over allegations that he was threatened with kidnapping and physical harm. He added that after filing, his firm would engage US, UK and EU immigration authorities over the alleged threats and whether Fani-Kayode’s travel or visa status should be reviewed.
Fani-Kayode, however, denied the allegations outright, challenging Von Batten to publicly produce any evidence of threats from him, the President or the Federal Government.
He accused the lobbyist of branding President Tinubu, the Nigerian Government and himself as part of a corrupt criminal syndicate involved in transnational terrorism, kidnapping and killing without evidence.
The ambassador further faulted Von Batten for labelling the President a convicted drug smuggler, noting that Tinubu has never been indicted or convicted by any court of law.
“Nigeria is not a Banana Republic. Our Government does not target, kidnap, harm or kill opposition figures and are not involved in any acts of state-sponsored terrorism,” he said.
He dismissed Von Batten as inconsequential, saying he was not losing any sleep over the threats and that the government had never contemplated kidnapping, killing or harming Atiku Abubakar.
Describing such acts as an abomination to God and to the government, Fani-Kayode said his lawyers would be in touch with the lobbyist shortly.
“Be rest assured that you will be hearing from my lawyers soon, and I will be demanding at least 100 million USD for your libellous falsehood and vicious slander against my person in a duly constituted court of law in the United States of America,” he added.
He said he would also seek Von Batten’s extradition to Nigeria to face charges over alleged violations of the Cybercrime Act and criminal defamation.
“You have been put on notice. From now on it is lawyer to lawyer. See you in court,” Fani-Kayode said.
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