The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dragged Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, demanding N15 billion in damages over alleged defamatory claims.
Gbajabiamila filed the suit following allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives described the allegations as false, malicious and damaging to his personal reputation and the integrity of his office.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10 billion as general damages and another N5 billion as aggravated damages.
He is also asking the court to award N200 million as legal costs and compel Adeyemi to issue a public retraction and apology in five national newspapers and on social media platforms where the allegations were published.
The case was filed through his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, alongside other senior lawyers.
In court documents, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting, communicating with, or authorising anyone to collect money on his behalf from Adeyemi.
He also rejected claims that he demanded or received any funds, abused his official position, interfered with investigations, or had any connection with allegations involving the death of Babatunde Tanimola, who was mentioned as an alleged intermediary.
The presidential aide maintained that he had no personal or professional relationship with Adeyemi and described the accusations as serious attacks on his character.
The lawsuit followed statements made by Adeyemi during a press conference and subsequent media appearances, where he repeated allegations against Gbajabiamila.
According to court documents, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers had earlier issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, demanding a withdrawal of the claims and an apology.
The apology demand was published in national newspapers the following day, but the allegations were allegedly repeated in further interviews, including appearances involving social media personality VeryDarkMan and a programme on Channels Television.
Gbajabiamila argued that Adeyemi admitted during one interview that he had never personally met him or independently confirmed the identity of the person he claimed to have communicated with.
The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days after receiving the court documents.
Failure to respond within the stipulated period could lead to judgment being entered against him.
The legal battle comes amid a wider controversy surrounding allegations linked to the Presidential Fiscal Intelligence and Public Integrity Committee (PFIPC), with Adeyemi also facing a separate criminal case at the Federal High Court over allegations involving forged presidential documents and appointment letters.
