US Lawyer Cleared to Sue Tinubu, Fani-Kayode Over $36m Kidnap Threats
US law firm Von Batten Montague-York says it has been cleared to file a $36 million federal lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu and former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit alleges that Fani-Kayode threatened kidnap and physical harm to Dr Von Batten as part of an alleged organized criminal conspiracy involving the Nigerian Presidency. The complaint will rely on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act and related statutes, including 28 U.S.C. § 1605B and 18 U.S.C. §§ 2331 and 2333. The firm says it will also ask US, UK and EU immigration authorities to review Fani-Kayode's travel or visa status under terrorism-related inadmissibility provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The case tests the limits of head-of-state immunity while Tinubu remains president. Legal experts note that overcoming FSIA protections is rare and requires showing that the alleged acts fall within a terrorism exception. The lawsuit is expected to be filed next week. What does this mean for Nigeria's international standing and for individuals seeking accountability for alleged state-linked threats? Should readers watch how the courts treat immunity claims, or consider what diplomatic fallout might follow if the case proceeds?