Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
The suit, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, seeks ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of litigation, and a court order compelling the defendant to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
Gbajabiamila is also asking the court to direct Adeyemi to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were circulated for a period of 30 days.
The legal action was initiated by Pinheiro LP, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kemi Pinheiro, alongside Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli.
The legal team described the allegations as false, malicious and deliberately aimed at tarnishing the claimant’s reputation.
According to court documents, Adeyemi had alleged during a press briefing that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.
He further claimed that ₦400 million had already been paid through an intermediary, with another ₦200 million allegedly required to secure presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, denied the allegations, insisting he had never met, spoken with or authorised Adeyemi or any intermediary to demand or receive money on his behalf.
“The claimant has never met the defendant, never held any meeting with him and never authorised any representative, agent or proxy to solicit or collect money on his behalf,” the court filing stated.
The suit also addressed Adeyemi’s claims surrounding the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he alleged acted as a middleman between himself and the Chief of Staff.
Adeyemi had claimed Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Abuja shortly after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police against him.
He also alleged that he survived an assassination attempt and accused security agencies of abandoning investigations into his stolen phones on instructions from “above.”
Gbajabiamila’s legal team disclosed that a cease-and-desist letter was issued to Adeyemi on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology. Rather than comply, the defendant allegedly repeated the claims during interviews, including one with social media influencer VeryDarkMan.
Court filings noted that Adeyemi admitted during one of the interviews that he had never met Gbajabiamila in person, never held a video conversation with him and had no independent means of confirming the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff, relying solely on communications allegedly facilitated by the late Tanimola.
Despite those admissions, the claimant alleged that Adeyemi repeated the accusations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on July 13, 2026.
The court was also informed that Adeyemi is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and fake appointment letters, which Gbajabiamila said formed the basis of the disputed claims.
The FCT High Court has directed the defendant to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the court processes or risk judgment being entered against him.
In his witness statement, Gbajabiamila denied demanding any kickback, receiving money through proxies, abusing his office, influencing security agencies or interfering with investigations involving Adeyemi.
He maintained that he had no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death or the alleged attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
The Chief of Staff told the court that the allegations had caused significant damage to his reputation, attracted widespread public attention and prompted enquiries from associates both within and outside Nigeria.
He added that he deliberately avoided responding through the media, choosing instead to seek judicial redress in order to protect not only his personal integrity but also the dignity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
