Podium Reporters gathered that in December 2003, Karl Von Batten, the United States-based lobbyist hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, was convicted and sentenced over assault against his girlfriend, according to court documents.
The context of Von Batten’s assault conviction was contained in the judgment of the District of Columbia Court of Appeal, in the appeal filed by Cynthia D. Murphy, the lobbyist’s ex-girlfriend. In the court document, Von Batten’s name was stated as “Karl M.E. Okeke.”
Podium Reporters reports that the documents show the conviction was part of the record in Murphy’s appeal. The case was heard in the District of Columbia, and the appeal provided the context in which Von Batten’s 2003 conviction was captured. The report did not indicate whether the appeal succeeded or whether the conviction was later overturned. It, however, confirmed that the domestic assault conviction formed part of the court record.
The disclosure is significant because Von Batten was hired by Atiku, Nigeria’s former vice-president, as a lobbyist in the United States. Atiku served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007 and has remained a major political figure. The identity of the lobbyist and his past conviction could raise questions about the vetting of consultants and foreign agents engaged by Nigerian political leaders. It could also draw attention to how public records in the US are used to scrutinise the activities of lobbyists working for foreign principals.
Podium Reporters noted that the court document listed Von Batten as Karl M.E. Okeke. That name appeared in the judgment of the District of Columbia Court of Appeal in the appeal filed by Murphy. The report did not explain the difference in names, but it linked the lobbyist to the case. The publication said the court documents were seen by its reporters.
The revelation adds to the growing scrutiny of political lobbying and the backgrounds of those hired to represent Nigerian interests abroad. While the report focused on the court record, it did not provide further details about the exact sentence imposed on Von Batten in December 2003 or the circumstances of the assault beyond the fact that it involved his girlfriend. Podium Reporters’ report, however, makes clear that the conviction is documented in US court records and is connected to the lobbyist now identified as working for Atiku Abubakar.