Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has sued Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi for N15 billion over allegations linking him to a purported kickback demand from funds allegedly approved for a federal agency.
The suit, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeks N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages and N200 million as the cost of legal proceedings.
Gbajabiamila is also asking the court to order Adeyemi to retract the allegations and publish an apology in five national newspapers. In addition, he wants the apology pinned for 30 days on all social media and online platforms where the claims were published.
The case was instituted by a legal team from Pinheiro LP led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, alongside Folu Oguntade (SAN), Olukayode Enitan (SAN) and Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN).
According to court documents, the dispute stems from allegations made by Adeyemi during a press conference in which he claimed that a disagreement developed after Gbajabiamila allegedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant earmarked for a federal agency.
Adeyemi further alleged that N400 million had been paid through an intermediary acting for the Chief of Staff and that an additional N200 million was requested to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila, however, described the allegations as entirely false and defamatory, insisting that he had never met Adeyemi, communicated with him or authorised any individual to act on his behalf.
In the statement of claim, the Chief of Staff maintained that he had no connection whatsoever with the defendant and never instructed any person to demand or receive money for him.
The suit also addressed Adeyemi’s claims regarding the late Babatunde Tanimola, whom he identified as a link between himself and Gbajabiamila.
Adeyemi had alleged that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Abuja in October 2025 shortly after a petition was purportedly submitted to the police by the Chief of Staff. He also claimed to have survived an assassination attempt and alleged that security agencies were directed to discontinue efforts to recover mobile devices containing evidence relevant to his allegations.
Court filings showed that Gbajabiamila's lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter to Adeyemi on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology. The notice was subsequently published in national newspapers.
Rather than retract the allegations, the claimant alleged that Adeyemi appeared in an interview with social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, where he made statements that undermined his earlier claims.
According to Gbajabiamila’s witness statement, Adeyemi admitted during the interview that he had never met the Chief of Staff physically, never communicated with him through a video call and had no independent means of confirming the identity of the person he believed he was dealing with.
The claimant said Adeyemi further acknowledged that all his dealings were conducted through the late Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila also informed the court that despite those admissions, Adeyemi repeated the allegations during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on July 13, 2026.
The court documents further revealed that Adeyemi is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and appointment letters, which the claimant said formed part of the foundation of the accusations against him.
In his witness deposition, Gbajabiamila denied demanding any kickback, receiving money through proxies, seeking additional payments, influencing security agencies or interfering with investigations involving Adeyemi.
He also denied any knowledge of Tanimola’s death or the alleged attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
The Chief of Staff told the court that the allegations had tarnished a reputation built over decades in public service and had exposed him to public ridicule and suspicion.
He argued that the publications portrayed him as corrupt, dishonest and abusive of public office, causing significant reputational damage and prompting inquiries from associates and colleagues within and outside the country.
Gbajabiamila stated that he deliberately avoided responding through the media because he believed the matter should be resolved through legal channels.
He urged the court to grant the reliefs sought, saying the action was necessary to safeguard both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi was arrested on Tuesday in Osun State by operatives attached to a special team from the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
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