ABUJA — Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a N15 billion defamation lawsuit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant allegedly approved for a federal agency.
The suit follows public allegations made by Adeyemi, who identifies himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an organisation authorities have described as non-existent.
Adeyemi had, during a press conference on June 25, 2026, accused the Chief of Staff of demanding a 48 per cent kickback from the purported N27.3 billion grant. He further alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and requested an additional N200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, through his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kemi Pinheiro of Pinheiro LP, dismissed the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
According to the court filings, the Chief of Staff is seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million as the cost of the suit, and an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to order the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the allegations were published for 30 consecutive days.
In his statement of claim, Gbajabiamila maintained that he had never met, communicated with, or authorised anyone to act on his behalf in dealings with Adeyemi.
“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 documents stated.
The suit also referenced allegations made by Adeyemi concerning the death of one Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as an intermediary between himself and the Chief of Staff. Adeyemi had alleged that Tanimola died in a suspicious hotel fire in Abuja and also claimed he survived an assassination attempt, while accusing security agencies of abandoning investigations on orders from “above.”
Gbajabiamila denied any knowledge of Tanimola, the alleged incidents, or any involvement in attempts to intimidate or influence law enforcement agencies.
According to the Chief of Staff, his solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding an immediate retraction and public apology. The notice was subsequently published in several national newspapers on July 7.
Rather than withdraw the allegations, Adeyemi allegedly repeated them during interviews with social media influencer VeryDarkMan and on Channels Television’s Politics Today on July 13, 2026.
Gbajabiamila stated that during the interview with VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi admitted he had never met him, spoken with him directly, or independently verified the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff. He also allegedly acknowledged that all communications were conducted through the late Babatunde Tanimola.
The Chief of Staff argued that those admissions contradicted Adeyemi’s earlier categorical accusations and demonstrated that the allegations were made without proper verification.
Court filings further revealed that Adeyemi is already facing criminal prosecution 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 relating to forged presidential documents and appointment letters, which Gbajabiamila’s legal team said formed the basis of the public claims.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force in Osun State on Tuesday, hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for his arrest.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi 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 said the allegations had caused significant damage to his personal and professional reputation, stressing that while public officials should expect scrutiny, false allegations of corruption and abuse of office must be addressed through lawful means.
He added that he chose not to engage in a media battle, insisting that the courtroom remains the appropriate venue for resolving the dispute and protecting the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
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