Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
According to Channels Television, Gbajabiamila is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the suit, and a court order compelling Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the allegations were made.
Court documents seen by Channels Television show that the Chief of Staff denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to demand or receive money on his behalf.
Through his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory. Other members of the legal team include SANs Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli.
The suit followed claims made by Adeyemi during a press conference, where he alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant, allegedly receiving ₦400 million through a proxy while requesting an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, in his sworn statement, denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office or interfering with law enforcement agencies. He also denied any involvement in the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, who Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with security investigations.
The court documents stated that Gbajabiamila’s solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology, which was published in national newspapers the following day.
However, the suit alleged that Adeyemi continued making the claims in subsequent interviews, including one with social media influencer VeryDarkMan and another on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13.
According to the claimant, Adeyemi admitted during one interview that he had never met Gbajabiamila personally or independently verified the identity of the person he believed to be the Chief of Staff, relying solely on communications allegedly conducted through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila argued that despite those admissions, Adeyemi continued to repeat the allegations publicly, further damaging his reputation.
The court documents also revealed that Adeyemi is facing a separate criminal trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters.
Gbajabiamila said the allegations had harmed his personal and professional reputation and constituted false accusations of corruption, bribery and abuse of office. He added that he chose to seek legal redress instead of responding through the media in order to protect both his reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the originating processes or risk judgment being entered against him in default.
