A United States-based lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has released fresh court documents in the ongoing federal case linked to President Bola Tinubu.
The firm allege that another representing the Nigerian government in Washington was connected to a hacking operation against American activists.
Von Batten-Montague-York disclosed the development on Saturday in a statement posted on its verified X account. The firm said a newly filed court document cited criminal proceedings and public reports claiming that DCI Group, described as representatives of Tinubu’s administration in Washington, D.C., was linked to an alleged hacking operation that targeted American activists and used stolen information to discredit critics.
“A new court document filed yesterday in the federal case concerning Nigerian President Bola Tinubu cites criminal proceedings and public reports concerning allegations that Tinubu’s administration’s D.C. representatives (DCI Group) was connected to an alleged hacking operation targeting American activists and involving stolen information used to discredit critics,” the firm stated.
“We believe these circumstances raise serious questions about American sovereignty, foreign interference, and potential transnational repression. The abduction and murder of Jamal Khashoggi shows how far a foreign government may go to silence critics. We are taking nothing for granted. Stand by for our next course of action.”
The disclosures come as the same firm is pursuing a separate $57 million lawsuit against President Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. In the suit, Von Batten-Montague-York alleges it faced a campaign of defamatory attacks, followed by statements it interpreted as threats of kidnapping, physical harm, referral to Nigerian security agencies, and extradition.
The broader matter stems from a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by American activist Aaron Greenspan seeking US government records related to a 1990s investigation involving Tinubu. The president joined the case as an intervenor, citing privacy concerns.
The FBI has previously acknowledged in a sworn court declaration that Tinubu was the subject of a criminal investigation linked to drug trafficking in the early 1990s, though he was never charged or convicted. A related 1993 civil forfeiture case involving about $460,000 connected to accounts in his name was resolved without criminal proceedings against him.
A recent court filing by Greenspan also alleged that the Nigerian government pays DCI Group AZ, an affiliate of DCI Group, $750,000 monthly. DCI Group has rejected the allegations in the Von Batten lawsuit as unfounded, insisting its work focuses on strengthening Nigeria-US relations.
Von Batten-Montague-York was engaged by Atiku under a reported $1.2 million annual contract. The Presidency has previously dismissed the firm’s activities as politically motivated attempts to create crisis ahead of the 2027 elections and has repeatedly clarified that the US matter is a civil records dispute, not a criminal case against the president.
The latest twist is expected to further heat up the political battle in Washington between camps linked to Tinubu and Atiku as the 2027 presidential race gathers momentum.
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