A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikorodu has ordered X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, to reveal the identity of an anonymous user accused of defaming a law graduate, Esther Agboola, by posting an altered image accompanied by defamatory content.
Justice Adeniyi Pokanu ruled that the unauthorized alteration and publication of the image violated Agboola’s constitutional right to privacy and caused significant emotional distress and reputational damage. The court consequently awarded her ₦20 million in general damages against the anonymous user.
The court also directed X Corp to file an affidavit disclosing the identity of the account holder. In addition, it imposed a conditional ₦50 million penalty on the platform should it fail to comply with the disclosure order.
The judgment is regarded as a landmark decision in Nigeria’s efforts to hold anonymous social media users accountable for online defamation while reinforcing the obligation of digital platforms to comply with lawful court orders.
Hauwa Umar Mohammed
