Court Orders Online Platform to Pay ₦20 Million to Actress Adunni Ade for Privacy Breach

A Lagos High Court has ordered a Nigerian online news outlet and one of its reporters to pay Nollywood actress Adunni Ade ₦20 million in damages for violating her right to privacy.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Ibironke Harrison in suit number LD/17781MFHR/2024, arose from a publication dated January 18, 2023, which linked the actress to a story alleging that she was among “six popular Nigerian actresses accused of dating” lawmaker Dino Melaye.

The crux of the case

The lawsuit was not one of defamation but rather centred on “false light” invasion of privacy, a legal concept that protects individuals from being portrayed inaccurately or misleadingly.

Ade contended that the publication misrepresented her in a “misleading and offensive” manner that distorted her public image, adding that it was published primarily to generate website traffic and advertising revenue.

In her affidavit, she stated that the false story caused her emotional and psychological distress and violated her fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.

She also claimed a breach of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, citing the unauthorised use of her name and photograph without consent.

The defence and court’s findings

The defendants denied any wrongdoing, arguing that Ade’s images were publicly accessible on her verified Instagram account and that she had delayed almost a year before initiating the suit.

However, Justice Harrison ruled that the evidence before the court proved that Ade’s right to privacy had indeed been infringed.

The court further held that whether or not Ade personally submitted her data to the defendants was irrelevant — what mattered was that her personal information had been used without authorisation.

Delivering judgment on June 24, 2025, the judge awarded ₦20 million in general damages to the actress and issued a mandatory order directing the respondents to delete and permanently remove her name and image from the offending publication.

The ruling underscores Nigeria’s growing judicial recognition of privacy and data protection rights in the digital age.