The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation lawsuit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations linking him to an alleged kickback scheme involving a ₦27.3 billion federal agency grant.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, and ₦200 million as litigation costs. He also wants the court to order Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers and pin the apology across all social media platforms and online channels where the allegations were shared for 30 days.
The legal action, filed by the law firm Pinheiro LP, describes the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
According to court documents, Adeyemi had alleged during a press briefing that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. He further claimed that ₦400 million had already been paid through a proxy allegedly acting for the Chief of Staff, while another ₦200 million was requested to secure presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila denied the claims, insisting he has never met Adeyemi, communicated with him or authorised anyone to act on his behalf.
The court filings also addressed Adeyemi’s claims involving the late Babatunde Tanimola, whom he alleged acted as an intermediary between him and the Chief of Staff. Adeyemi further claimed he survived an assassination attempt in 2025 and alleged that security agencies were directed to halt investigations into stolen mobile phones containing evidence.
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers said they issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology. However, they alleged that Adeyemi instead granted an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where he admitted he had never met or spoken directly with Gbajabiamila and relied solely on communications through the late Tanimola.
The claimant argued that these admissions contradicted the earlier allegations. He also accused Adeyemi of repeating the claims during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13.
Court documents further revealed that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forging presidential documents and appointment letters, which Gbajabiamila said formed the basis of the accusations against him.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi 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 or receiving any kickback, abusing his office, influencing security agencies or interfering in investigations involving Adeyemi. He also denied any knowledge of the death of Tanimola or the alleged attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
The Chief of Staff told the court that he had built his reputation over decades of public service and argued that the allegations falsely portrayed him as corrupt and abusive of office.
He maintained that the claims damaged his reputation, generated widespread public attention and prompted inquiries from associates within and outside Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila said he chose to seek legal redress instead of engaging in a public media dispute, adding that the suit is intended to protect both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
