The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
The suit follows claims allegedly made by Prince Adeyemi accusing the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of seeking an illicit share of funds earmarked for the establishment and operations of a federal government agency.
Gbajabiamila, through his legal team, contends that the allegations are entirely false, malicious and defamatory, arguing that they were deliberately published to tarnish his reputation and undermine the confidence reposed in him as Chief of Staff to the President.
According to the court filings, the plaintiff maintains that he neither demanded nor received any kickback in connection with the approved grant and describes the allegations as baseless and lacking any factual foundation.
The suit seeks ₦15 billion in damages for the alleged injury to his reputation, as well as other reliefs, including a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from making or publishing similar allegations in the future.
Gbajabiamila is also asking the court to compel the defendant to retract the statements and publish an unreserved apology in national newspapers and other platforms where the allegations were circulated.
The legal action marks the latest high-profile defamation case involving a senior government official and underscores the growing use of the courts to challenge allegations of corruption and misconduct made in the public space.
As of the time of filing this report, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew had not publicly responded to the lawsuit or the claims contained in the court action.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory is expected to fix a date for the commencement of proceedings.
