Lagos court fines X and user over defamation of law graduate
Esther Agboola, a Nigerian law graduate, has won a defamation case at the Lagos High Court in Ikorodu. The court ordered X (formerly Twitter) to reveal the identity of the user @_AbiolaPharays, who manipulated and republished her birthday post without permission. Justice Adeniyi Pokanu ruled that this act breached Agboola’s right to privacy. The court also awarded significant damages to Agboola for the distress and harm she suffered.
What happened
- The Lagos High Court delivered its judgment on June 5, 2026, ordering X to disclose the identity of @_AbiolaPharays.
- Esther Agboola had posted photos on her birthday on January 9, 2026, and claimed her previous birthday post from January 2025 was manipulated by the anonymous user.
- The court found that the manipulation and republication of the post violated Agboola’s privacy rights under the 1999 Constitution.
- Agboola was awarded N20 million in general damages against the unidentified X user for emotional and reputational harm.
- X Corp faces an additional N50 million in conditional damages if it fails to disclose the user’s identity as ordered.
