The 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, abuse of office and other criminal acts.
The demand was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, written by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, on behalf of Pinheiro LP, Gbajabiamila’s legal representatives.
The development 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 of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, receiving funds through intermediaries, abusing his office and participating in a cover-up.
Adeyemi, who is currently facing criminal charges over his alleged involvement in operating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also described Gbajabiamila as “a murderer” and “an assassin” during the briefing.
In the letter, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers dismissed the allegations as false and defamatory.
The legal team stated, “The allegations are not only false but gravely defamatory. They were clearly designed to portray our client 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 had any personal or official dealings with Adeyemi.
According to the lawyers, “You have never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever with him. Your decision to fabricate and publish allegations against a person with whom you have had absolutely no relationship underscores the reckless, baseless and malicious nature of your publication.”
Adeyemi is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case filed by the Federal Government. He is accused 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 legal team noted that the allegations made during the June 25 press conference relate directly to issues already before the court.
The letter stated, “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.”
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers gave Adeyemi 72 hours to comply with several demands, including removing all videos, transcripts and related materials from every platform where the allegations were published.
They also requested a full retraction and apology to be published in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms used to circulate the claims, alongside a written undertaking that no further defamatory statements would be made.
The letter warned that failure to comply would result in both civil and criminal legal proceedings.
According to the lawyers, the proposed civil action will seek N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, which they said would be donated to a charity selected by the Chief of Staff. They also intend to seek a perpetual injunction and a court order compelling the publication of an apology.
The controversy stems from the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an entity listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, with budgetary allocations exceeding N1.3 billion.
While Adeyemi has argued that the inclusion of the council in the Appropriation Act proves it is a legitimate government agency, the Presidency has consistently maintained that the body is fictitious and operates without legal backing.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called for an independent investigation into the matter, arguing that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to clear any individual connected with the controversy.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court on July 27, 2026.
