Nollywood actress, Adunni Ade, has secured a major legal victory against an online news platform, nearly two years after she was falsely linked to a romantic relationship with former senator, Dino Melaye.
The actress had filed a ₦100 million lawsuit against Polace Media Limited, operators of naijanews.com, for defamation of character and invasion of privacy following the publication of a report that listed her among six popular celebrities allegedly involved with the ex-lawmaker.
In a celebratory post on her Instagram page on Tuesday evening, Adunni Ade expressed gratitude to the Nigerian judiciary for what she described as a “well-deserved justice”.
“Won my case — Adunni Ade vs. Polace Media Limited (www.naijanews.com). A false story was published about me, but truth stood tall,” she wrote. “This judgment reaffirms that privacy matters – and so does integrity. Justice delayed isn’t justice denied.”
The actress revealed that the court awarded her ₦20 million in damages, even as she hinted that the process of enforcing the judgment was ongoing.
“Two cases won, a few more to go. You who is running up and down avoiding court papers, please stand still, so that you can be served,” she added in a subtle dig at other alleged offenders.
When responding to a follower’s comment under her post, Adunni quipped that the “blogger don japa,” a colloquial reference to someone who has fled, while noting that steps were being taken to “garnish” the defendant’s account.
The ruling, industry observers say, underscores growing calls for responsible journalism and accountability in Nigeria’s digital media space, where online platforms have often been accused of publishing unverified stories about public figures.
