Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a purported N27.3 billion take-off grant for the agency.
The suit, filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, follows allegations made by Adeyemi during a press conference on June 25, in which he accused the Chief of Staff of demanding a bribe and abusing his office.
Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million as the cost of the suit, and a court order directing Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He also wants the court to compel the defendant to post the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 days.
Adeyemi was arrested earlier this week in Osun State, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with alleged forgery and related offences.
Denies Bribery Allegations
Through his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described Adeyemi’s allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
In the statement, the Chief of Staff maintained that he had never met or communicated with Adeyemi and had never authorised anyone to act on his behalf.
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According to the court filings, Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s take-off grant, received N400 million through an intermediary and requested an additional N200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Rejecting the claims, the suit 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 court documents also referenced Adeyemi’s claims that an intermediary, Babatunde Tanimola, who allegedly linked him with the Chief of Staff, died in a suspicious hotel fire in Abuja in October 2025.
Adeyemi further alleged that he survived an assassination attempt and claimed security agencies abandoned efforts to recover mobile phones containing evidence after receiving orders from unnamed authorities.
Claims Contradicted in Media Interviews
According to the suit, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, demanding an immediate retraction and apology, which was published in several national newspapers the following day.
Rather than withdraw the allegations, Adeyemi allegedly repeated them during interviews with social media personality VeryDarkMan and later on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Gbajabiamila told the court that during the interview with VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi admitted he had never met him in person, never held a video call with him, and had relied entirely on the late Tanimola for all communications.
He further claimed that Adeyemi admitted he could neither confirm nor deny whether Gbajabiamila was telling the truth and stated that he intended to submit documents to law enforcement agencies for verification.
The Chief of Staff argued that those admissions contradicted the certainty with which the allegations were initially made.
Facing Criminal Trial
The court filings also revealed that Adeyemi is already facing criminal prosecution before a Federal High Court in Abuja in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Others.
The charges relate to the alleged forgery of presidential documents and appointment letters, which Gbajabiamila’s legal team said formed the basis of Adeyemi’s public claims.
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 after being served with the court processes.
“I never Met Adeyemi”
In his witness statement filed before the court, Gbajabiamila said the allegations had seriously damaged his personal and professional reputation.
He maintained that throughout his years in public service, including his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives and now as Chief of Staff, he had built a reputation based on integrity and accountability.
He said the allegations went beyond legitimate public criticism and amounted to false accusations of corruption, bribery, abuse of office and interference with law enforcement agencies.
Gbajabiamila denied demanding any share of the alleged take-off grant or receiving the purported N400 million or any other payment from Adeyemi or anyone acting on his behalf.
He also denied influencing the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), or any other agency to investigate or harass the defendant.
The Chief of Staff equally denied any involvement in the death of Tanimola or knowledge of the alleged assassination attempt.
Suit Filed to Protect Office and Reputation
Gbajabiamila told the court that he was “profoundly disturbed” after watching the June 25 press conference and reading widespread media reports containing the allegations.
Although he initially expected Adeyemi to retract the claims after receiving the cease-and-desist letter, he alleged that the defendant instead continued granting interviews and repeating the accusations.
According to him, the repeated publications generated widespread public discussion and enquiries from associates within and outside Nigeria, worsening the damage to his reputation.
He said he deliberately avoided responding through the media because he believed the courts were the proper forum to resolve the dispute.
Gbajabiamila added that the action was filed not only to clear his name but also to protect the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President from what he described as reckless and unfounded allegations.
He urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, expressing confidence that justice would be served after a full hearing of the case.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.