Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the action, and an order compelling the defendant to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were circulated.
According to court documents seen by Channels Television, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi Matthew or authorising anyone to demand or receive money on his behalf. Through his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kemi Pinheiro, the Chief of Staff described the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory.
The legal action followed claims made by Adeyemi Matthew during a press conference that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant. He further alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through a proxy and later demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, maintained in his statement on oath that he had no personal, official, or professional relationship with the defendant. He denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office, or interfering with any law enforcement agency.
He also dismissed allegations linking him to the death of Babatunde Tanimola, who was alleged to have acted as an intermediary, as well as claims that he was involved in an assassination attempt on Adeyemi Matthew or interfered with investigations by security agencies.
According to the court documents, Gbajabiamila’s solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology, which was published in national newspapers the following day.
The suit, however, alleged that instead of retracting the claims, Adeyemi Matthew granted further interviews, including one with social media influencer VeryDarkMan and another on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13, 2026.
Gbajabiamila told the court that during one of the interviews, the defendant admitted that he had never met him personally or independently verified the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff, stating that all communications were allegedly conducted through the late Babatunde Tanimola.
The claimant argued that despite those admissions, Adeyemi Matthew continued to publicly repeat the allegations, further damaging his reputation.
Court documents also revealed that Adeyemi Matthew is facing a separate criminal trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters.
Gbajabiamila told the court that the allegations had harmed both his personal and professional reputation, describing them as false accusations of corruption, bribery, and abuse of office. He said he chose to seek redress through the courts instead of responding in the media, adding that the suit was aimed at protecting both his reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The FCT High Court has directed the defendant to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the originating processes, failing which judgment may be entered against him in default.
