The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has issued a pre-action notice demanding N10 billion in damages from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over allegations linking him to murder, bribery, corruption and abuse of office.
In a letter dated July 6, 2026, Gbajabiamila’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro of Pinheiro LP, described the allegations as “false, reckless and gravely defamatory” and demanded an immediate retraction and apology.
The legal action follows a press conference held by Adeyemi on June 25, during which he accused the Chief of Staff of demanding a share of the alleged take-off grant for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), receiving funds through proxies, abusing his office and participating in a criminal cover-up. During the briefing, Adeyemi also referred to Gbajabiamila as “a murderer” and “an assassin.”
According to the letter, Adeyemi is currently facing criminal charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, FRN v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Ors, over allegations of forgery, including allegedly forging an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature and counterfeiting presidential letter-headed documents to present himself as a government official.
The Chief of Staff’s lawyers identified nine allegedly defamatory claims made during the press conference, including allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the council’s purported N27.4 billion take-off grant, amounting to about N12.5 billion, received N400 million through proxies, manipulated budgetary processes, intimidated individuals and media organisations, misused security agencies and discharged official duties under the influence of intoxicating substances.
Describing the accusations as entirely fabricated, the lawyers said they were deliberately crafted to portray Gbajabiamila as “corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer and unfit to occupy public office.”
The letter further maintained that Gbajabiamila had never met, spoken with or conducted any personal or official business 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, adding that the allegations were “reckless, baseless and malicious.”
The legal team also argued that the timing of the allegations was particularly troubling because they were made after criminal proceedings had already been instituted against Adeyemi.
“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,” the letter said, stressing that “trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process.”
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers gave Adeyemi 72 hours to withdraw all allegedly defamatory materials, including videos, recordings and transcripts from all platforms, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the claims were circulated, and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations.
Failure to comply, the lawyers warned, would result in both criminal defamation proceedings under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory and a civil lawsuit seeking N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages.
The suit would also seek a perpetual injunction restraining further defamatory publications and a court order compelling the publication of an apology. The damages, according to the letter, would be donated to a charity of Gbajabiamila’s choice.
The dispute centres on the PFIPC, which Adeyemi claimed to head as Director-General. Although the council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the title “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” with budgetary allocations exceeding N1.3 billion, including personnel, overhead and capital expenditure, the Presidency has consistently maintained that the agency is fictitious and that Adeyemi fraudulently represented himself as its official.
At the June 25 briefing, Adeyemi argued that an agency listed in a presidentially assented appropriation law could not be described as non-existent.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has maintained that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to exonerate anyone involved in the controversy and has called for an independent investigation into the allegations involving both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, as the criminal proceedings continue.
