Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit at the FCT High Court against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew over allegations that he demanded a 48% kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit at the FCT High Court against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who has described himself as the Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations that he demanded kickbacks to facilitate appointments and diverted public funds.
The suit marks an escalation of the dispute, which began earlier this month when Gbajabiamila, through his lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), issued a ₦10 billion pre-action defamation notice, demanding that Adeyemi retract the allegations, publish apologies in national newspapers, and remove the alleged defamatory videos and social media posts.
According to court filings reported on Thursday, Gbajabiamila is seeking:
₦15 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages; A perpetual injunction restraining Adeyemi from making further defamatory statements, and a court order compelling a public retraction and apology.
The dispute stems from Adeyemi’s claims that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48% kickback from funds allegedly earmarked for the PFIPC and received hundreds of millions of naira through intermediaries. Gbajabiamila has categorically denied the allegations, describing them as false, malicious, and intended to damage his reputation.
The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency, while Adeyemi insists he was legitimately appointed and has challenged the government’s position. He is also facing separate criminal charges over alleged forgery of government documents, allegations he denies.
