Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has commenced moves to institute a N10bn defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over allegations accusing him of bribery, murder and other criminal conduct.
The threat was conveyed in a letter dated July 6, 2026, issued by his legal counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), in response to statements Adeyemi made during a press briefing held on June 25.
At the briefing, Adeyemi, who has been linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a share of the council's purported take-off funds, received money through intermediaries and engaged in a cover-up. He also labelled the presidential aide a murderer and an assassin.
Rejecting the accusations, Gbajabiamila's legal team described them as entirely false, reckless and injurious to his reputation, insisting they were deliberately made to tarnish his public image.
The lawyers maintained that the Chief of Staff had never met, spoken with or maintained any official or personal relationship with Adeyemi, making the allegations completely unfounded.
They also pointed out that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forgery, including allegedly falsifying an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila's signature and using counterfeit presidential documents to present himself as a government official.
According to the legal team, it was improper for Adeyemi to make public pronouncements on issues already before a competent court, stressing that judicial proceedings should not be influenced through media campaigns.
The letter directed Adeyemi to immediately remove all publications, videos, recordings and transcripts containing the allegations, issue an unreserved apology and retraction in at least five national newspapers and on all social media platforms where the claims were circulated, and undertake not to make similar statements in the future.
Gbajabiamila gave Adeyemi 72 hours to comply, warning that failure to do so would trigger both civil and criminal legal action, including a N10bn claim for aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction and a court-ordered apology.
The dispute stems from the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which was allocated over N1.3bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act. While Adeyemi has argued that the budgetary allocation confirms the agency's existence, the Presidency insists the council was never legally established.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called for an independent investigation into the matter, urging authorities to probe both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi. Adeyemi is expected to appear before the Federal High Court on July 27, 2026.
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