“Fani-Kayode planning to kidnap Von Batten,” firm hired by Atiku to dig up dirt on Tinubu raises alarm

By our reporter 22.9.2026
Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C the United States lobbying firm hired by African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to expose secrets of President Bola Tinubu has accused Femi Fani-Kayode of planning to kidnap its boss Dr Karl Von Batten.
The lobbying firm said in a statement that Fani-Kayode who is the Nigerian High Commissioner-designate to South Africa, was threatening Dr. Von Batten because of his untiring efforts at exposing President Tinubu’s alleged 1993 drug trafficking records.
“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 said.
It added that the matter was being presented to American authorities as a possible case of what it described as “transnational repression”.
The term generally refers to efforts by governments or their agents to intimidate, threaten, harass or otherwise target people outside their own territory.