Court Bars Activist, Meta from Publishing Alleged Defamation Against Sen Natasha
A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained UK-based activist, Dr. Sandra Duru, also known as Prof. Mgbeke, and Meta Platforms Inc., operator of Facebook, from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory content against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the determination of a substantive suit before the court.
The court granted an interim injunction after holding that the case raised “a serious question to be tried” and that the senator risked “irreparable damage” to her reputation without urgent judicial intervention.
Justice I. Mohammed delivered the ruling in Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/229/2025, following a motion on notice filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan, who sought protection against what she described as sustained online attacks on her reputation.
In a Certified True Copy of the ruling sighted in Abuja, the court held that the application disclosed “a serious question to be tried” and that immediate action was necessary to prevent irreparable harm to the claimant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Mohammed consequently ordered that the first defendant, Sandra Duru, “either by herself, her agents, privies, or howsoever called, is restrained from further publishing, posting, sharing, disseminating or promoting on Facebook or any other social media platform any material containing defamatory, scandalous, inciteful or injurious content against the Applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
In a related order, the court directed Meta Platforms Inc. to “immediately take down and/or disable access to all offending publications, posts or broadcasts made by the 1st Defendant against the Claimant, whether in her personal name or under the pseudonym ‘Prof Mgbeke,’ pending the determination of the suit.”
The court further ordered the social media company to preserve all electronic evidence relevant to the dispute, directing that the second defendant must “preserve, secure, and archive all content, metadata and digital footprints associated with the offending posts and user accounts operated by the 1st Defendant, for the purpose of aiding this Honourable Court in the fair determination of the substantive suit.”
Justice Mohammed emphasised the preservatory nature of injunctions, noting that such orders are meant “to prevent irreparable harm, maintain the status quo ante bellum, and ensure that the subject matter of the dispute is not altered before final judgment.”
The judge stressed that the reliefs granted were protective rather than punitive.
“Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan established a clear prima facie case of ongoing defamation, with irreparable harm to reputation that cannot be adequately remedied by monetary damages alone,” he said.
The court further held that “the balance of convenience overwhelmingly favours the Applicant,” particularly in view of the alleged sustained publications and the risk of continued reputational injury.
Justice Mohammed also took cognisance of the claimant’s allegation that the first defendant embarked on “a sustained and malicious campaign of cyberbullying, harassment and defamation,” allegedly publishing no fewer than 30 posts between May and October 2025.
The court observed that the publications were said to have gone viral, exposing the claimant to hostility, security threats and emotional trauma.
On Meta’s role, the judge noted that the claimant had placed the platform on notice through formal complaints identifying specific links and content.
He observed the allegation that Meta’s failure to act “enabled the continued accessibility of the defamatory materials and facilitated further attacks,” an issue the court held raised serious questions for trial.
The ruling comes eight months after Duru released what she described as evidence from exclusive phone conversations, which she claimed showed that the then-suspended lawmaker lied against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, over a sexual harassment allegation.
Duru had also alleged, during a Facebook Live session, that Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to induce her with N200 million to falsely accuse the former Akwa Ibom State governor of organ harvesting.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
