Gbajabiamila Takes 'Fake' Agency Boss to Court Over Alleged Bribery Scandal

In a dramatic turn of events, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a lawsuit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. The lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, is seeking N15 billion in damages over allegations of bribery and defamation. According to court documents, Matthew had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 percent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. Gbajabiamila, through his lawyers, has denied the allegations, describing them as false, malicious, and defamatory. The lawsuit is seeking N10 billion as general damages, N5 billion as aggravated damages, and N200 million as the cost of the action. Gbajabiamila is also asking the court to compel Matthew to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers and on social media platforms. The allegations against Gbajabiamila first surfaced during a press conference where Matthew claimed that a disagreement arose after the Chief of Staff allegedly demanded the kickback. Matthew further claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy on behalf of Gbajabiamila, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals. However, Gbajabiamila's lawyers have stated that their client has never met or communicated with Matthew and has never authorized anyone to act on his behalf. The lawsuit also references Matthew's claims regarding the alleged mysterious death of an intermediary, Mr. Babatunde Tanimola, who he claimed served as the link between himself and the Chief of Staff. Matthew alleged that Tanimola died in a suspicious hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police. The court documents also reveal that Gbajabiamila's solicitors issued a cease-and-desist notice, which was published in several national newspapers, including THISDAY, on July 7, 2026. Despite this, Matthew allegedly granted an interview to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where he made several admissions that contradicted his earlier allegations. In his witness statement on oath, Gbajabiamila contended that Matthew admitted that he had never met him in person and had never conducted a video call or any other form of verification to confirm the identity of the person he believed to be the Chief of Staff. The case is currently before the court, and the outcome is being eagerly awaited.