Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff, has threatened Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi with a N10 billion defamation lawsuit due to accusations that he committed murder, bribery, and other crimes. "Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, for Pinheiro LP, lawyers of the Chief of Staff," signed the letter dated July 6, 2026.
The letter came after a press conference on June 25 where Adeyemi, who is being prosecuted for his alleged involvement in running the Presidential Foreign Intervention-Promotion-Council—which the Presidency characterizes as a fake organization—accused the Chief of Staff of abusing his position, obtaining money through proxies, demanding a portion of the council's purported take-off grant, and taking part in a criminal cover-up.
During the briefing, Adeyemi also referred to Gbajabiamila as "an assassin" and "a murderer."
It required Adeyemi to remove all content from all platforms, including transcripts, videos, and recordings; publish a complete retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and on all social media platforms where the press conference was shared; and submit a written commitment to stop publishing anything about Gbajabiamila going forward.
The letter was addressed to Adeyemi, who is listed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, FRN v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Ors, on charges of forgery, including forging an appointment letter with Gbajabiamila's alleged signature and falsifying Presidential Letter-Headed Papers in order to fraudulently pose as a government official.
The letter detailed nine accusations from the press conference where Adeyemi, posing as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council—a body the Presidency has deemed to be fictitious—accused Gbajabiamila of obtaining N400 million through proxies in connection with appointments related to the council and of demanding 48% of the council's purported N27.4 billion take-off grant, or about N12.5 billion.
Adeyemi further claimed that Gbajabiamila may have performed his official duties under the influence of intoxicating narcotics, intentionally participated in fraudulent budget processes, attempted to misuse security agencies, and abused his power to intimidate people and media organizations.
The nine accusations were "designed to portray our client as corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer, and unfit to occupy public office," according to the attorney, who called them "not only false but gravely defamatory."
Gbajabiamila said in the letter that he had never spoken to Adeyemi at all.
The Chief of Staff's attorneys wrote to the President, "You have never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever with him." They also stated that the choice to "fabricate and publish allegations against a person with whom you have had absolutely no relationship or interaction underscores the reckless, baseless, and malicious nature of your publication."
The ongoing criminal proceedings were also mentioned in the letter as an aggravating circumstance.
It said, "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," noting that the accusations made at the news conference on June 25 clearly relate to the counts currently pending in court.
The attorneys continued, "Trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process."
The attorneys provided a 72-hour window for compliance starting from the moment the letter was received.
They requested that Adeyemi cease making any more disparaging remarks, remove all content, including transcripts, videos, and recordings, from all platforms, publish a complete retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and on all social media sites where the press conference was shared, and submit a written commitment to refrain from publishing anything more about Gbajabiamila.
In addition to a perpetual injunction and a court order requiring the apology, the letter warned that failure to comply would result in criminal defamation proceedings under FCT law as well as a civil complaint demanding N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, to be given to a charity of Gbajabiamila's choosing.
The PFIPC was designated as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the 2026 Appropriations Act. It was given more than N1.3 billion in funding, which included about N803 million for personnel costs, N200 million for overhead, and N300 million for capital expenditures.
At the press conference on June 25, Adeyemi contended that an agency that appears on pages 50 and 51 of an appropriations bill that has been approved by the president cannot be genuinely nonexistent.
The President, however, maintains that the agency is nonexistent and fake.
Human rights attorney Femi Falana argued in Adeyemi's defense that the Presidency lacked the constitutional power to clear anyone involved and demanded an impartial investigation into Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
On July 27, 2026, Adeyemi is scheduled to appear in court.