Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation lawsuit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew before 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 to cover legal costs, and an order compelling the defendant to issue a public retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the claims were published.
The Chief of Staff denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi Matthew or authorising anyone to request or receive money on his behalf. Through his legal team, he described the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory.
The legal action followed claims made by Adeyemi during a press briefing, where he alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant. He further claimed that ₦400 million was allegedly received through a proxy, while an additional ₦200 million was requested to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, insisted in his sworn statement 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 the activities of law enforcement agencies.
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 connected him to an attempted assassination of the defendant or interference with ongoing security investigations.
According to the court filings, the claimant’s lawyers had earlier issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding an immediate retraction and apology. However, the defendant allegedly continued to repeat the accusations in subsequent media appearances, including interviews with social media influencer VeryDarkMan and on a television programme.
Gbajabiamila told the court that during one of those interviews, Adeyemi admitted he had never met him personally or independently confirmed the identity of the individual he believed to be the Chief of Staff, stating that all communications were allegedly conducted through the late Tanimola.
The claimant argued that despite those admissions, the defendant continued making the allegations publicly, causing further harm to his reputation.
Court documents also revealed that Adeyemi Matthew is currently facing a separate criminal trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and appointment letters.
Gbajabiamila maintained that the accusations had damaged both his personal and professional reputation by portraying him as corrupt and abusing public office. He said he opted to pursue legal action instead of responding through the media in order to protect his reputation and preserve the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The FCT High Court has directed the defendant to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the court processes or risk judgment being entered against him.
