Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation lawsuit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is asking the court to award ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the legal action, and an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers as well as on all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were circulated.
Court documents obtained by Channels Television show that the Chief of Staff firmly denied ever meeting, speaking with, or authorising Adeniyi Adeyemi or anyone else to demand or receive money on his behalf.
Represented by a legal team led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory.
Other members of the legal team include Senior Advocates of Nigeria Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan, and Chukwudi Enebeli.
The lawsuit stems from 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 millionthrough a proxy while requesting an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, maintained in his sworn statement that he had no personal, professional or official relationshipwith Adeyemi.
He also denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office, or influencing law enforcement agencies in any way.
The Chief of Staff further rejected allegations linking him to the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as claims connecting him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with security investigations.
According to the court filings, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers had earlier issued a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and public apology. The notice was subsequently published in national newspapers the following day.
Rather than retract the statements, the suit alleged that Adeyemi granted additional interviews, including one with social media personality VeryDarkMan and another appearance where he repeated the allegations.
Gbajabiamila told the court that during one of those interviews, Adeyemi admitted that he had never met him personallyand had not independently verified the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff, claiming that all communication was allegedly conducted through the late Tanimola.
Despite those admissions, the Chief of Staff argued that Adeyemi continued making the allegations publicly, further damaging his reputation.
Court documents also revealed that Adeyemi is currently facing a separate criminal trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and fake appointment letters.
Gbajabiamila told the court that the allegations had seriously harmed both his personal and professional reputation by portraying him as being involved in corruption, bribery, and abuse of office.
He explained that instead of responding through the media, he chose to seek legal redress to protect both his reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the court processes, warning that judgment may be entered against him if he fails to respond within the stipulated period.
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