US court record shows Atiku’s lobbyist was convicted of assault in 2003

A 2008 judgment of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals shows that a man identified in the court record as Karl M.E. Okeke was convicted of simple assault in 2003 and sentenced to 180 days in jail over an attack on his then-girlfriend.

The court record has come under scrutiny because the man is identified in current US government filings as Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten III, the founder and managing partner of Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., which was hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in 2026.

The D.C. Court of Appeals judgment, delivered on July 3, 2008, arose from an appeal involving Cynthia D. Murphy, Okeke’s former girlfriend.

The judgment recounts the circumstances surrounding the 2003 assault and the subsequent civil protection proceedings.

According to the judgment, Murphy and Okeke began a romantic relationship in April 2003. During a July 4 party at Okeke’s apartment, an argument broke out between the couple after Murphy learned that Okeke’s roommate had reportedly had a sexual relationship with him.

The court record states that Okeke asked Murphy to leave the apartment before physically assaulting her.

The judgment said he dragged her by her legs and arms, repeatedly struck her in the face, kicked her and pushed her against a wall.

Murphy subsequently escaped through a bedroom window and sought medical treatment at George Washington University Hospital.

On December 10, 2003, following a misdemeanor bench trial, the court sentenced Okeke to 180 days in jail for the assault.

The sentence was suspended, however, and he was placed on one year of probation. The conditions included staying away from Murphy, completing 50 hours of community service, participating in a domestic violence counselling programme and contributing to the Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund.

The 2008 appellate judgment did not concern an appeal of the criminal conviction. Rather, Murphy had challenged a civil protection order issued against her after the dispute. The appellate court ultimately ordered that the protection order against Murphy be vacated.

Link to Atiku’s lobbyist

The court proceedings identified the defendant as Karl M.E. Okeke.

A 2026 registration filed with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act identifies Atiku’s lobbyist as Dr. Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten III. The filing names Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. as the registrant and Atiku Abubakar as the foreign principal.

The FARA documents show that Atiku engaged the Washington firm under a 12-month agreement worth $1.2 million.

The contract covers government affairs representation and strategic advisory services, including engagement with members of Congress and executive branch officials and reputational strategy.

The agreement also states that one of its objectives is to protect and strengthen Atiku’s reputational standing in Washington and counterbalance what it describes as incumbent-government lobbying narratives.

TheCable reported that correspondence sent to Von Batten seeking his response to the 2003 conviction had not received a reply at the time of publication.

The available court record establishes the conviction of Karl M.E. Okeke. The current FARA record establishes the identity and role of Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten III.

Any further claim that the two records refer to the same individual should be presented with that documentary link clearly attributed rather than stated as an independently established fact.