A United States lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has raised concerns about alleged foreign interference and threats against critics following fresh disclosures cited in its ongoing legal dispute involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The firm said a newly filed court document referenced criminal proceedings and public reports alleging that DCI Group, which it identified as a representative of the Tinubu administration in Washington, DC, was connected to a hacking operation targeting American activists.
According to the firm, the alleged operation involved the theft of information intended to discredit critics. The claims, however, have not been established as proven facts in the information available.
Von Batten-Montague-York said the disclosures deserved closer examination as part of its separate federal lawsuit against Tinubu, Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa, Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group.
The firm previously alleged in the lawsuit that it had faced defamatory attacks and statements it interpreted as threats of kidnapping, physical violence, referral to Nigerian security agencies and extradition.
It argued that the latest development raised questions about the protection of American sovereignty and the possibility of foreign actors using intimidation or other forms of pressure against critics operating in the United States.
The lobbying firm also referenced the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as an example of the potential dangers faced by critics of foreign governments.
“We are taking nothing for granted. Stand by for our next course of action,” the firm said in a statement posted on its verified X account.
The latest disclosure adds to the dispute surrounding the federal lawsuit, while the allegations raised by the firm remain subject to legal scrutiny.
