Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. The legal action follows Adeyemi's public allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant purportedly approved for the non-existent federal agency, an accusation the Chief of Staff has vehemently denied as false, malicious and defamatory.
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 an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers. The Chief of Staff is also asking the court to direct the defendant to post the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 consecutive days, and to remove all publications and recordings containing the allegations. The suit was filed by Gbajabiamila's legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kemi Pinheiro, alongside Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli, who described the allegations as entirely false and lacking any factual foundation.
According to the statement of claim, Adeyemi had alleged during a press conference that a dispute arose after Gbajabiamila purportedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency's N27.3 billion take-off grant. He further claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy allegedly acting for the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals. Adeyemi also linked Gbajabiamila to the death of one Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as an intermediary between himself and the Chief of Staff, claiming that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
Gbajabiamila, however, has firmly denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to act on his behalf. "The claimant has never met the defendant, never held any meeting with him and has never authorised any intermediary, representative, agent or proxy to demand or receive money on his behalf," the court filing stated. The Chief of Staff also addressed Adeyemi's claims that he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025 and that a "directive from above" instructed security agencies to discontinue efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he claimed contained vital evidence. Gbajabiamila dismissed these allegations as baseless and part of a coordinated campaign to damage his reputation.
The court documents revealed that Gbajabiamila's solicitors had issued a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, which was published in ThisDay and other national newspapers on July 7, demanding an immediate retraction and apology within 72 hours. Rather than withdraw the allegations, Adeyemi reportedly granted an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where he made admissions that contradicted his earlier claims. According to Gbajabiamila's witness statement on oath, Adeyemi admitted during the interview that he had never met the Chief of Staff in person, never held a video call with him, and had no independent means of verifying the identity of the individual he believed to be Gbajabiamila. The claimant said Adeyemi further admitted that all communications were conducted through the late Tanimola and that he could neither say the Chief of Staff was lying nor confirm that he was telling the truth.
Despite those admissions, Gbajabiamila alleged that Adeyemi repeated the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today on July 13, 2026, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, where he maintained the substance of his earlier claims without retracting them. The Chief of Staff is now praying the court to declare that the words spoken and published by Adeyemi are false, malicious and defamatory, and to grant the reliefs sought, including N10 billion in general damages and N5 billion in aggravated damages, plus 10 per cent interest on the judgment sum.
The defamation suit marks the latest development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the PFIPC, an organisation that the Presidency has repeatedly maintained is not a recognised government agency. The Presidency had earlier distanced itself from Adeyemi's claims, with presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga describing him as a fraudster who built a web of false claims to deceive unsuspecting government officials. Adeyemi is also facing an eight-count criminal charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja bordering on forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating a fictitious government agency.
The legal battle between Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi has drawn significant public attention, with the Chief of Staff's legal team arguing that the allegations have subjected him to public ridicule, injured his hard-earned reputation and undermined public confidence in his office. The suit is expected to further intensify the legal confrontation between both parties as the court determines whether the statements complained of amounted to defamation and whether the damages sought are justified. The dispute also unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing criminal proceedings involving Adeyemi over allegations linked to the operations of the PFIPC, including claims of forgery and impersonation. Those allegations remain before the courts, while Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing.
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