Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million as the cost of the action, and a court order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and unconditional apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to direct the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 days.
Through his legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), the Chief of Staff described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory, insisting he had never met or communicated with Adeyemi or authorised anyone to act on his behalf.
According to the court filings, Adeyemi had alleged at a press conference that a disagreement arose after Gbajabiamila purportedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s N27.3 billion take-off grant. He also claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy on behalf of the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, denied ever demanding or receiving any money, directly or indirectly, and rejected claims that he authorised any intermediary to negotiate or collect funds on his behalf.
The suit also addressed Adeyemi’s claims concerning the alleged mysterious death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as the intermediary between himself and the Chief of Staff. Adeyemi alleged that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
He further claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025 and alleged that a directive from above compelled the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to halt efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he said contained crucial evidence.
The court documents revealed that Gbajabiamila’s lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, which was published in national newspapers the following day, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the allegations, a public retraction and an apology.
Rather than retract the claims, Adeyemi allegedly granted an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where, according to Gbajabiamila’s witness statement, he admitted he had never met the Chief of Staff, never held a video call with him and had no independent means of verifying the identity of the person he believed he was dealing with. He also admitted that all communications were conducted through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila further told the court that Adeyemi admitted during the interview that he could neither say the Chief of Staff was lying nor confirm he was telling the truth, adding that he intended to submit his documents to law enforcement agencies for verification.
Despite those admissions, the Chief of Staff alleged that Adeyemi repeated the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on July 13, 2026, without offering any retraction or apology.
The suit also disclosed that Adeyemi is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Others, over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters, which Gbajabiamila’s legal team said formed the basis of the public allegations.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi, whose address was listed as unknown but who is deemed to be within the court’s jurisdiction, to enter an appearance within 14 days after being served with the court processes or risk judgment being entered against him in default.
In his witness statement, Gbajabiamila maintained that the allegations accusing him of bribery, abuse of office, interference with law enforcement agencies and intimidation were entirely false and had caused serious damage to his personal and professional reputation.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he had built his reputation over decades of public service on integrity, honesty and fidelity to duty, stressing that while public office holders should expect scrutiny, false accusations of corruption and criminal misconduct presented as facts were defamatory.
He added that although he became aware of the allegations around June 25, 2026, he deliberately refrained from responding through the media because he believed the courtroom was the proper forum to resolve the dispute.
According to the Chief of Staff, the repeated interviews granted by Adeyemi after receiving the cease-and-desist letter amounted to a deliberate campaign to sustain false allegations against him, generating widespread public discussion and numerous enquiries from friends, associates and professional colleagues within and outside Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila said the suit was instituted not only to protect his personal reputation but also to safeguard the integrity and dignity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, urging the court to grant all the reliefs sought.