Nigeria's Chief of Staff Sues Prince Adeyemi for N15 Billion Over Defamation

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, has initiated a N15 billion defamation lawsuit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja. The suit stems from allegations made by Adeyemi, who publicly accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a 48% kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.

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Says he never met defendant, denies bribery, abuse of office …Allegations caused grave damage to my personal, professional reputation

Adeyemi, identified as the Director-General of the allegedly non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), made these accusations during a press conference on June 25, 2026. He further claimed that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million. Gbajabiamila had previously given Adeyemi 72 hours to retract the allegations and issue a public apology or face legal action.

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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.

In the lawsuit filed yesterday, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion in general damages and N5 billion in aggravated damages. He also seeks N200 million for the cost of the action. Additionally, he requests an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers and to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 days.

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Adeyemi alleged at a press conference that a disagreement arose after Gbajabiamila purportedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s N27.3 billion take-off grant.

Gbajabiamila, through his legal team, described the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory. The court filing explicitly states that Gbajabiamila denies ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorizing anyone to act on his behalf. The suit also references Adeyemi's claims regarding the alleged suspicious death of an intermediary, Mr. Babatunde Tanimola, who Adeyemi claimed served as the link between himself and the Chief of Staff. Adeyemi alleged that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police, and that he himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

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He further claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy on behalf of the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals.