PFIPC: Gbajabiamila Files ₦15bn Defamation Suit Against Adeyemi Breaking News: ₦15 Billion Defamation Suit Rocks Abuja The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a shocking ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The lawsuit stems from allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. Details of the Lawsuit 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 as well as on all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were circulated. The Chief of Staff denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to solicit or receive money on his behalf. Denial and Retraction Through his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory. The legal team, which also includes Senior Advocates Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli, filed the action after Adeyemi alleged during a press conference that the Chief of Staff demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant. Gbajabiamila’s solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding an immediate retraction and apology, which was subsequently published in national newspapers the following day. Repeated Allegations and Damage to Reputation However, the suit alleges that instead of retracting the claims, Adeyemi repeated them in subsequent media appearances, including an interview with social media personality VeryDarkMan and another on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13, 2026. According to the claimant, Adeyemi admitted during one of the interviews that he had never met Gbajabiamila personally and had not independently verified the identity of the person he believed to be the Chief of Staff, relying solely on communications allegedly conducted through the late Babatunde Tanimola. Despite that admission, the suit contends that Adeyemi continued to publicly repeat the allegations, causing further damage to Gbajabiamila’s reputation. Separate Criminal Trial and Court Directive The court filings also disclose that Adeyemi is currently facing a separate criminal trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters. The FCT High Court has directed the defendant to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the originating court processes, failing which judgment may be entered against him in default. Gbajabiamila maintained that the accusations have severely damaged his personal and professional reputation by portraying him as corrupt and abusive of public office. He told the court that he opted to seek judicial redress rather than engage in a public media dispute, stating that the action is intended to protect both his reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. Source: WorldNewsAPI | Read original
