Fake agency scandal: Gbajabiamila threatens Adeyemi with N10bn defamation lawsuit

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has threatened legal action against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, demanding N10 billion in damages over allegations linking him to murder, bribery, and other criminal activities.

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

The letter reads in part, “The publication which has been extensively circulated across several print, electronic and social media platforms and has consequently attracted widespread public attention, contains numerous statements which are not only false, malicious, reckless and entirely without factual foundation, but were clearly designed to portray our client as corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer and unfit to occupy public office.

“In particular, in your press conference, you falsely alleged, among other things, that our client demanded or requested forty-eight percent (48%) of the alleged take-off grant of an entity described as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, received the sum of 400,000,000.00 by proxy in connection with appointments relating to the said entity, abused and exploited his office as Chief of Staff to intimidate individuals and media organizations,

“Knowingly participated in fraudulent governmental processes relating to the national budget acted dishonestly and in a manner warranting his resignation from public office sought to manipulate or misuse security agencies against you may have acted under the influence of intoxicating substances in the discharge of his official duties and engaged in conduct suggestive of corruption, abuse of office, criminality and gross misconduct is a murderer, assassin and participated in a criminal cover-up.

“These allegations are not only false but are gravely defamatory. They plainly convey to ordinary, reasonable members of society that our client is corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, unfit for public office, violent, dangerous and undeserving of public trust.”

Gbajabiamila’s lawyers demanded that Adeyemi, within 72 hours of receiving the letter, cease making or publishing further defamatory statements, remove the alleged offending press conference and related materials from all platforms under his control, and publish a full, unequivocal and unreserved retraction and apology.

The lawyers further demanded that the apology be published with the same prominence as the original allegation in at least five national newspapers, across all platforms where the disputed publication appeared, and on every social media account used to disseminate it.

In addition, the legal team also requested that a written undertaking be submitted to their law firm, assuring that no further defamatory statements would be made against their client.

However, according to the letter, failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated period would with no option but to initiate both criminal and civil proceedings.

The proposed legal action would include a criminal complaint for alleged criminal defamation under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as well as a civil suit seeking N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, which they said would be donated to charities of Gbajabiamila’s choice.

The legal team also said it would seek a perpetual injunction restraining any further defamatory publications and a mandatory court order compelling Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology.

Recall that Adeyemi held a press conference on June 25, accusing Gbajabiamila of seeking a share of the alleged take-off funds of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, receiving money through intermediaries, abusing his office and participating in efforts to conceal wrongdoing.