Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a N15 billion defamation suit against Prince 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 N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million as the cost of the action, and an order compelling Matthew to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to direct the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 consecutive days.
The suit was filed by Gbajabiamila’s legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), alongside Folu Oguntade (SAN), Olukayode Enitan (SAN), and Chukwudi Enebeli, who described the allegations against their client as false, malicious and defamatory.
According to the statement of claim, Matthew alleged during a press conference that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. He further claimed that N400 million had already been paid through an intermediary allegedly acting for the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was requested to secure presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, denied the allegations, insisting that he had never met or communicated with Matthew and had never authorised anyone to act on his behalf.
“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 filing stated.
The suit also addressed Matthew’s claims regarding the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he alleged acted as an intermediary between him and the Chief of Staff. Matthew claimed Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
He also alleged that he survived an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025 and claimed that a “directive from above” led the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to discontinue efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he said contained critical evidence.
Court documents showed that Gbajabiamila’s solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, which was published in THISDAY and other national newspapers the following day, demanding an immediate retraction and apology.
Rather than withdraw the allegations, the claimant alleged that Matthew granted an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, during which he made statements that contradicted his earlier claims.
According to Gbajabiamila’s witness statement on oath, Matthew admitted during the interview that he had never met the Chief of Staff in person, never had a video call with him, and had no independent means of verifying the identity of the individual he believed to be Gbajabiamila. He reportedly acknowledged that all communications were conducted through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila further told the court that Matthew admitted he could neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of the person he had been communicating with and stated that he intended to submit relevant documents to law enforcement agencies for verification.
Despite those admissions, the claimant alleged that Matthew repeated the allegations during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13, 2026.
The court filings also disclosed that Matthew is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Others, over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters.
According to the claimant, those documents formed the basis of Matthew’s allegations against him.
The FCT High Court has directed Matthew, whose address was listed as unknown but who is deemed to be within the court’s jurisdiction, to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the court processes or risk judgment being entered against him in default.
In his witness statement, Gbajabiamila maintained that he had never met Matthew and had no personal, official or professional relationship with him. He denied demanding any kickback, receiving N400 million through a proxy, requesting an additional N200 million, abusing his office, influencing security agencies, intimidating media organisations or interfering with any investigation involving the defendant.
He also denied directing the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), or any other law enforcement agency to harass or investigate Matthew.
The Chief of Staff further denied any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death or the alleged attempts on Matthew’s life.
Gbajabiamila told the court that he had built his reputation over decades of public service on integrity, honesty and dedication to duty, arguing that while public office comes with scrutiny, the allegations against him amounted to false accusations of corruption, bribery, abuse of office and other criminal conduct.
He said the repeated publication of the allegations generated widespread public attention and triggered enquiries from friends, associates and professional colleagues within and outside Nigeria, causing significant reputational damage.
Gbajabiamila added that he deliberately refrained from engaging in a media exchange because he believed the courts were the appropriate forum to resolve the dispute.
According to him, the suit was filed not only to protect his personal reputation but also to safeguard the integrity and dignity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
