High Court Awards Millions
A Lagos High Court has delivered a landmark verdict in favour of Nollywood actress Adunni Ade. The court ordered tech giants Google LLC and Meta Platforms Inc. to pay ₦30 million in general damages. This ruling concluded a legal battle that the actress initiated in July 2024 over defamatory online publications.
The case centred on two contentious reports published on Google and YouTube. One piece falsely claimed that former senator Dino Melaye gifted the actress a fake Patek Philippe watch to woo her. Meanwhile, the second article included her name in a list of celebrities allegedly linked to the politician.
Breaching Constitutional Privacy
In her legal filing, the Nigerian-American actress argued that the platforms acted unlawfully. She asserted that the stories inappropriately used her name and image, violating her privacy and portraying her in a false light.
Ultimately, the presiding judge upheld her arguments. The court held that the online reports breached the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. Furthermore, the publications directly violated her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution. Consequently, the judge ordered both global firms to remove the offending publications immediately.
Taking Battle to Court
Following the significant victory, Adunni Ade celebrated the judicial outcome on her social media platforms. She uploaded a digital copy of the court judgment to her Instagram page to brief her fans.
The screen star added a poignant caption to express her perspective on the matter:
“Not every battle needs a response. Some need a courtroom. Unto the next.”
Her legal team praised the ruling, noting that it sends a strong signal to publishers who exploit personal data for web traffic.
Read Adunni Ade’s vs Meta Vs Google court judgment below:
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Google and Meta counter-attack: Actress confirms appeal
Following widespread reactions to the ruling, Adunni Ade shared a copy of the judgment on her Instagram page, where many followers congratulated her.
However, one fan asked whether Google and Meta had already paid the court-awarded damages.
Responding to the question, the actress disclosed that the companies had challenged the judgment.
“They appealed,” she replied.
Her brief response confirmed that the legal dispute remains ongoing despite the initial court victory.
Legal battle continues
The appeal means the case is far from over, as a higher court will now review the Lagos High Court’s decision.
The outcome could determine whether the ₦30 million damages award stands and whether the order directing the removal of the publications will remain in force.
For now, Adunni Ade’s victory remains a significant development in Nigeria’s growing conversation around digital privacy, data protection and online accountability. The final resolution, however, will depend on the appellate court’s decision.
