Von Batten-Montague-York, LC, a United States-based lobbying firm, has expressed readiness to assist Adeniyi Adeyemi, director-general of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), in seeking asylum and whistleblower protection amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the organisation.
Karl Von Batten, founder of the firm, made the disclosure in a post on X on Saturday while reacting to reports about the PFIPC scandal.
According to him, US authorities may take interest in the matter because Nigeria’s national budget includes funds sourced from the World Bank, in which the United States is the largest shareholder.
Although the PFIPC reportedly had no legal backing or presidential proclamation, it operated as a government agency, secured an allocation in the 2026 budget, occupied office space within the Federal Secretariat Complex and recruited personnel.
Last month, the Presidency distanced itself from the council, maintaining that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Adeyemi, however, challenged the position, questioning how the organisation allegedly received a budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act if it did not officially exist.
In another post on Monday, Von Batten said he had spoken with Adeyemi and found him to be “sincere and credible”.
The lobbyist argued that Adeyemi’s claims deserved scrutiny by relevant US authorities.
Adeyemi had alleged that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, appointed him as PFIPC director-general.
He further claimed that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through an intermediary and later requested an additional N200 million to facilitate the appointment.
Adeyemi also called for an investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary, while alleging that attempts had been made on his life.
“Based on our discussion, I believe his allegations warrant an investigation by Congress, @StateDept, @USTreasury, @USGAO, and other relevant U.S. agencies due to the alleged misappropriation of U.S.-funded World Bank loans by senior members of the #Nigerian government,” Von Batten wrote.
He added that senior members of President Donald Trump’s team had been briefed on the matter and that members of Congress would also be engaged this week.
Von Batten further warned that if any harm came to Adeyemi or his family while he was preparing to cooperate with US officials, President Tinubu would be held accountable and face legal consequences in the United States.
President Tinubu has already directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations and submit a report within 30 days.
In April, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar engaged Von Batten-Montague-York to help protect and strengthen his reputation in the United States.
The move came amid leadership challenges within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party adopted by Atiku and several opposition figures ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election.