By David Lawani, Abuja
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the embattled promoter of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations that he demanded kickbacks from a federal agency’s take-off grant.
The suit, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, marks a major escalation in the controversy surrounding claims that senior presidency officials demanded a share of a ₦27.3 billion intervention fund allegedly earmarked for the agency.
Gbajabiamila is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages and an additional ₦5 billion in aggravated damages over what he described as false and malicious allegations capable of damaging both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The claimant is also asking the court to award ₦200 million as litigation costs and compel Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the allegations were circulated.
Court documents showed that the Chief of Staff denied ever meeting, communicating or dealing with Adeyemi in any personal, official or professional capacity.
He equally denied authorising any individual to solicit, receive or negotiate financial transactions on his behalf.
The suit was filed by a legal team led by senior advocate Kemi Pinheiro, alongside fellow senior advocates Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli.
The legal action followed public allegations by Adeyemi that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant allegedly approved for the agency.
Adeyemi further alleged that ₦400 million was paid through an intermediary, while another ₦200 million was allegedly demanded to secure presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila dismissed the allegations in their entirety. “The allegations are false, malicious and defamatory.”
He also denied allegations linking him to the death of one Babatunde Tanimola, who Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary in the alleged transaction.
The Chief of Staff further rejected claims that he interfered with investigations by security agencies or had any role in an alleged attempt on the defendant’s life.
According to court filings, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding an immediate retraction and apology.
The demand was reportedly published in national newspapers the following day.
However, the suit alleged that instead of withdrawing the claims, Adeyemi granted additional interviews in which he repeated the allegations.
Among the interviews cited were appearances on social media with the influencer VeryDarkMan and an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on July 13.
Gbajabiamila told the court that during one of those appearances, Adeyemi admitted he had never met him physically and had no independent means of confirming the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff.
According to the claimant, all alleged communications took place through the late Tanimola.
Despite those admissions, the Chief of Staff argued that the allegations were still being repeated publicly.
“The action is intended to protect both my reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.”
The 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.
The development comes as Adeyemi is separately facing criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and fake appointment letters allegedly linked to the PFIPC saga.
