United States-based lobbyist Karl Von Batten, hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, was convicted and sentenced for misdemeanor assault in 2003, according to records of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals….
United States-based lobbyist Karl Von Batten, hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, was convicted and sentenced for misdemeanor assault in 2003, according to records of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
The court records according to TheCable identify Von Batten by his former name, Karl M.E. Okeke, and detail an assault on his then-girlfriend, Cynthia D. Murphy, following a domestic dispute at his Washington apartment on July 4, 2003.
According to the court judgment as reported by TheCable, Okeke lunged at Murphy during an argument, causing her to fall, before dragging her by her legs and arms, repeatedly hitting her in the face, kicking her and pushing her against a wall.
The court said the assault left Murphy with a black eye, a swollen face, bruises and cuts inside her mouth.
She eventually escaped through a first-floor bedroom window and was assisted by neighbours before receiving treatment at George Washington University Hospital.
On December 10, 2003, following a misdemeanor bench trial, Okeke was sentenced to 180 days in jail over the assault.
The court record said the jail term was suspended and he was placed on one year’s probation, ordered to stay away from Murphy, complete 50 hours of community service, participate in a domestic violence counselling programme and contribute to the Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund.
The details emerged from a 2008 District of Columbia Court of Appeals judgment in an appeal filed by Murphy over a civil protection order. The appellate court ultimately overturned the protection order issued against Murphy and ordered the lower court to vacate it.
Atiku’s $1.2m lobbying deal
The revelation comes months after Atiku engaged Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm founded by Von Batten.
A US Department of Justice Foreign Agents Registration Act filing shows that the 12-month engagement, registered in April 2026, is worth $1.2 million.
The agreement covers strategic advisory services, engagement with US policymakers and institutions, and efforts to protect and strengthen Atiku’s “reputational standing” in Washington.
The court records have also drawn attention to Von Batten’s name. The 2008 judgment identifies him as Karl M.E. Okeke, while his current professional profile uses the name Karl-Marx Edward Ikemefuna William George Okeke-Von Batten, according to TheCable.
The lobbying firm’s public profile has also come under scrutiny following its deletion of an X post claiming that Von Batten had been appointed by US President Donald Trump to a White House presidential commission.
TheCable reported that there was no official White House communication confirming or denying the purported appointment.
TheCable said it could not immediately confirm whether Von Batten had appealed his 2003 criminal judgment, adding that correspondence sent to him had not received a response at the time of its report.
