A Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has issued an interlocutory injunction restraining UK-based activist Dr. Sandra Duru, also known as Prof. Mgbeke, and Meta Platforms Inc., operators of Facebook, from further circulating content alleged to be defamatory against Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ruling, delivered by Justice I. Mohammed in Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/229/2025, followed a motion on notice filed by the senator seeking urgent judicial protection against what she described as persistent online attacks on her reputation.
The PUNCH reported that I a Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained on Saturday, the court noted that the application raised “a serious question to be tried” and that immediate action was necessary to prevent irreparable harm to the claimant’s reputation pending the final resolution of the substantive suit.
Justice Mohammed 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.”
The court also 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.”
In addition, the judge instructed the social media company to preserve all electronic evidence relevant to the case, stating 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 highlighted the preventive nature of injunctions, explaining 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.” He clarified that the reliefs granted were protective, not punitive.
The judge noted that “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,” adding that “the balance of convenience overwhelmingly favours the Applicant,” especially given the alleged continuous publications and risk of reputational damage.
The court also considered the claimant’s allegation that the first defendant engaged in “a sustained and malicious campaign of cyberbullying, harassment and defamation,” publishing at least 30 posts between May and October 2025.
These posts reportedly went viral, exposing the senator to hostility, security threats, and emotional distress.
Addressing Meta’s role, Justice Mohammed observed that the claimant had formally notified the platform with specific complaints and links to the content.
He noted that the company’s inaction “enabled the continued accessibility of the defamatory materials and facilitated further attacks,” an issue the court deemed significant for trial.
The ruling has been described as a key intervention in Nigeria’s digital rights and media accountability landscape, reinforcing the responsibilities of individuals and social media platforms to curb online abuse while protecting constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, and reputation.
The case comes eight months after Duru released what she claimed were exclusive phone conversations suggesting that the then-suspended lawmaker lied about a sexual harassment allegation involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
During a monitored Facebook Live session, the activist alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to bribe her with N200 million to falsely accuse the former Akwa Ibom governor of organ harvesting.
She also stated that her call logs and recordings could disprove the harassment claim, describing it as “wicked for Akpoti-Uduaghan to attempt to link him to the death of a young girl who died several years ago.”
In the one-hour, eight-minute broadcast, Duru further claimed that the suspended senator “was out to destroy men,” asserting that she had no credible evidence to support her sexual harassment allegation against Akpabio.
