Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, has taken legal action against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew. He filed a N15 billion defamation lawsuit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. This follows claims that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion grant meant for a federal agency.
In the lawsuit, Gbajabiamila is asking for N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, and N200 million to cover legal costs. He also wants the court to order Matthew to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
Additionally, he is requesting that the court forces Matthew to post the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were made for 30 days.
The lawsuit was filed by Gbajabiamila’s lawyers from Pinheiro LP, led by Kemi Pinheiro, along with Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan, and Chukwudi Enebeli. They said the allegations are false, malicious, and defamatory.
According to the claim, Matthew alleged during a press conference that a dispute arose after Gbajabiamila supposedly asked for a 48 per cent kickback from the N27.3 billion grant. He also claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy acting for the Chief of Staff, and that an extra N200 million was needed for presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting or speaking to Matthew or allowing anyone to act on his behalf. He stated, "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 lawsuit also mentions allegations made by Adeyemi regarding the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he claimed was an intermediary between him and Gbajabiamila. Adeyemi said Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, just a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
He further claimed he survived an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025. He said a "directive from above" told the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to stop efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he claimed had important evidence.
Court documents show that Gbajabiamila’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026. This letter was published in THISDAY and other newspapers on July 7, demanding an immediate retraction and apology.
Instead of retracting his statements, Adeyemi is said to have given an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where he made admissions that went against his earlier claims. Gbajabiamila’s witness statement claims Adeyemi admitted he had never met the Chief of Staff in person or held a video call with him.
He also said he had no way to confirm the identity of the person he thought was Gbajabiamila. Adeyemi reportedly stated he could not say if the Chief of Staff was lying or telling the truth, and he planned to take his documents to law enforcement for verification.
Despite these admissions, Gbajabiamila said Adeyemi repeated the allegations during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13, 2026. Court filings also revealed that Adeyemi is already on trial in the Federal High Court, Abuja, for other allegations involving forged presidential documents and appointment letters.
According to Gbajabiamila, those documents were the basis for Matthew’s public accusations against him. The FCT High Court has instructed Adeyemi, whose address is unknown but believed to be within the court’s reach, to appear within 14 days after being served with the court documents.
If he fails to do so, the court may rule against him. In his statement, Gbajabiamila insisted he had never met Matthew or had any dealings with him. He denied demanding any kickbacks or receiving N400 million through a proxy.
He also denied all allegations of abusing his office or influencing security agencies. Gbajabiamila stated he had no knowledge of Tanimola’s death or of any attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
The Chief of Staff asserted that he has built his reputation over many years on integrity and honesty. He believes that while public officials should expect scrutiny, the allegations against him are false claims of corruption and abuse of office.
He mentioned that the spread of these allegations caused serious harm to his reputation, generating discussions among friends and colleagues both in Nigeria and abroad. Gbajabiamila said he chose not to engage in a media battle, believing the court is the right place to resolve these issues.
He stated that the lawsuit is not only to protect his name but also to uphold the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff. The claimant has asked the court to grant all the reliefs he seeks, confident that the evidence will support his requests.
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