Gbajabiamila threatens N10bn defamation suit against Adeyemi over bribery, murder allegations

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has threatened to institute a N10 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over allegations linking him to murder, bribery, abuse of office and other criminal conduct.

The threat was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, on behalf of Pinheiro LP, legal representatives of the Chief of Staff.

The letter followed a press conference held by Adeyemi on June 25, during which he accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a share of the alleged take-off grant for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, receiving money through proxies, abusing his office and participating in a criminal cover-up.

Adeyemi also described the Chief of Staff as “a murderer” and “an assassin” during the briefing.

In the letter, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers described the allegations as “false, malicious and gravely defamatory,” arguing that they were intended to portray him as corrupt, criminally culpable and unfit for public office.

The legal team stated that the Chief of Staff had never met or interacted with Adeyemi.

“You have never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever with him,” the letter stated.

According to the lawyers, the publication of the allegations against a person with whom Adeyemi allegedly had no relationship demonstrated the reckless and baseless nature of the claims.

The letter also referenced the ongoing criminal proceedings against Adeyemi at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he is facing charges relating to alleged forgery.

The Federal Government has accused Adeyemi of forging an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s purported signature and counterfeiting presidential letter-headed papers to present himself as a government official in connection with the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which the Presidency has described as a fictitious agency.

The lawyers argued that Adeyemi’s public statements amounted to an attempt to conduct a “trial by media” while the criminal case remains before the court.

“It is even more disturbing to our client that you resorted to defaming him through your press statements after a criminal charge had been filed against you. Trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process,” the letter read.

Gbajabiamila’s legal team gave Adeyemi 72 hours to withdraw the allegations, remove all related videos, recordings and transcripts from every platform, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the statements were circulated, and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations.

The letter warned that failure to comply would result in criminal defamation proceedings under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory and a civil action seeking N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, alongside a perpetual injunction and a court order compelling the publication of an apology.

The controversy stems from allegations surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act and allocated more than N1.3 billion in the federal budget.

While Adeyemi has argued that the council could not be fictitious because it appeared in the Appropriation Act signed by the President, the Presidency maintains that the agency does not exist and was fraudulently presented as a government body.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has called for an independent investigation into the allegations involving both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi, arguing that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to exonerate any individual in the matter.

Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, for the continuation of his trial.