The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a N15bn defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3bn take-off grant approved for a federal agency.
In the suit, Gbajabiamila is seeking N10bn in general damages, N5bn in aggravated damages, N200m as the cost of the action, and an order directing Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to compel the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 days.
The suit was filed by Gbajabiamila’s legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), with Folu Oguntade (SAN), Olukayode Enitan (SAN) and Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN), who described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
According to the statement of claim, Adeyemi had alleged during a press conference that a dispute arose after Gbajabiamila purportedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s N27.3bn take-off grant.
Adeyemi also claimed that N400m had already been paid through a proxy allegedly acting for the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200m was required to secure presidential approvals.
However, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to act on his behalf
