The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dragged Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, filing a N15 billion defamation lawsuit.
The legal action comes over allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 percent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is demanding N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million to cover the cost of the action, and a court order directing Matthew to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to compel the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory claims were published for a continuous period of 30 days.
The lawsuit was filed by Gbajabiamila’s legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Kemi Pinheiro, along with Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan, and Chukwudi Enebeli, who described the accusations as entirely false, malicious, and defamatory.
According to the statement of claim, Matthew had alleged during a press conference that a dispute broke out after Gbajabiamila supposedly demanded a 48 percent kickback from the agency’s N27.3 billion take-off grant.
He also claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals.
However, Gbajabiamila has strongly denied ever meeting or communicating with Matthew, or authorizing 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 suit also referenced Adeyemi’s allegations concerning the death of one Babatunde Tanimola, whom he claimed acted as a middleman between himself and the Chief of Staff.
Adeyemi claimed that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, just a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
Furthermore, Adeyemi claimed he survived an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025.
He alleged that a “directive from above” instructed the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to stop efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he claimed contained vital evidence.
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.
Instead of withdrawing the allegations, the claimant stated that Adeyemi granted an interview to popular social media influencer VeryDarkMan, during which he made admissions that directly 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, had never held a video call with him, and had no independent means of verifying the identity of the person he believed to be Gbajabiamila.
The claimant noted that Adeyemi further admitted that all communications were conducted solely through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila also informed the court that Adeyemi stated he could neither say the Chief of Staff was lying nor confirm that he was telling the truth, adding that he intended to submit his documents to law enforcement agencies for verification.
Despite those admissions, Gbajabiamila alleged that Adeyemi repeated the accusations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on July 13, 2026.
The court filings further disclosed that Adeyemi is already standing trial before the Federal High Court in 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.
According to the claimant, those forged documents formed the basis of Matthew’s public allegations against him.
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 of being served with the originating processes, failing which judgment may be entered against him in default.
In his witness statement, Gbajabiamila maintained that he has never met Matthew or had any personal, official, or professional dealings with him.
He denied demanding any kickback, receiving N400 million through a proxy, requesting an additional N200 million, abusing his office, manipulating security agencies, intimidating media organizations, or interfering with investigations involving the defendant.
He also denied instructing the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), or any other law enforcement agency to harass or investigate Matthew.
Additionally, the Chief of Staff denied any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the death of Tanimola or the alleged attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
Gbajabiamila told the court that he had built his reputation over decades of public service based on integrity, honesty, and fidelity to duty.
He stressed that while public officials should expect scrutiny, the allegations against him amounted to false accusations of corruption, bribery, abuse of office, and other criminal conduct.
He noted that the repeated publication of the allegations generated widespread public discussion and prompted inquiries from friends, associates, and professional colleagues both within and outside Nigeria, causing significant damage to his reputation.
Gbajabiamila added that he deliberately refrained from engaging in a media war because he believed the court was the appropriate forum to resolve the dispute.
He stated that the action was instituted not only to protect his personal reputation but also to preserve the integrity and dignity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The claimant urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, expressing confidence that the evidence would justify the orders requested.
