Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a N15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over allegations linking him to a purported kickback demand from funds earmarked for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion as general damages, N5 billion as aggravated damages and N200 million as the cost of litigation. He is also asking the court to order Adeyemi to publicly retract the statements and publish an apology in five national newspapers.
The claimant further wants the court to compel Adeyemi to post and pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the allegations were circulated for a period of 30 days.
The legal action was filed by a team of senior lawyers from Pinheiro LP led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), alongside Folu Oguntade (SAN), Olukayode Enitan (SAN) and Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN), who described the allegations against the Chief of Staff as false, reckless and injurious to his reputation.
Court documents showed that Adeyemi had alleged at a press briefing that a disagreement emerged after Gbajabiamila allegedly demanded a 48 per cent cut from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. He also claimed that N400 million had already been paid through an intermediary purportedly acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff, while another N200 million was requested to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, denied the claims, insisting he had never met Adeyemi, communicated with him or authorised any individual to act on his behalf in relation to the alleged transactions.
According to the statement of claim, the Chief of Staff maintained that no intermediary, representative or proxy was ever empowered by him to demand or receive money from the defendant.
The suit also referenced allegations made by Adeyemi concerning the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he claimed served as a middleman between him and the Chief of Staff.
Adeyemi had alleged that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Abuja in October 2025 shortly after Gbajabiamila reportedly petitioned the police. He also claimed to have survived an assassination attempt and accused unnamed authorities of obstructing efforts to recover mobile devices containing evidence related to the matter.
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers told the court that a cease-and-desist letter was issued to Adeyemi on July 6, 2026, and subsequently published in national newspapers, demanding an immediate retraction and apology.
Rather than withdraw the allegations, the claimant alleged that Adeyemi granted an interview to social media personality VeryDarkMan, during which he made statements that contradicted his earlier claims.
According to Gbajabiamila’s witness statement, Adeyemi admitted during the interview that he had never met the Chief of Staff physically, had never held a video conversation with him and lacked any independent means of verifying the identity of the person he believed to be Gbajabiamila.
The claimant further stated that Adeyemi acknowledged that all communications relating to the matter were conducted through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila also alleged that despite those admissions, Adeyemi repeated the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on July 13.
Court filings additionally revealed that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations bordering on forged presidential documents and appointment letters, which the claimant said formed part of the basis of the allegations levelled against him.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the court processes or risk judgment being entered against him.
In his sworn statement, Gbajabiamila denied demanding or receiving any kickback, soliciting funds through proxies, influencing investigations, manipulating security agencies or engaging in any form of misconduct alleged by the defendant.
He also denied knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death or any alleged threats to Adeyemi’s life.
The Chief of Staff told the court that his public and professional reputation had been built over several decades of service and that the allegations falsely portrayed him as corrupt, abusive of office and involved in criminal conduct.
According to him, the widespread circulation of the claims triggered enquiries from associates, colleagues and members of the public both within and outside Nigeria, thereby causing reputational harm.
Gbajabiamila said he chose not to engage in public exchanges over the matter, preferring instead to seek redress through the courts.
He urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, maintaining that the action was necessary to protect both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi was reportedly arrested on Tuesday in Osun State by operatives attached to a special police team from the office of the Inspector-General of Police.