A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory has restrained a United Kingdom-based activist and instructed Meta Platforms Inc., operator of Facebook, to take down a series of allegedly defamatory posts targeting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The interlocutory injunction was delivered on Friday by Justice I. Mohammed in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/229/2025, following an application by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who argued that a sustained online campaign had irreparably damaged her reputation.
Justice Mohammed agreed that the case “raised a serious question to be tried” and that urgent judicial intervention was necessary to prevent further harm to the claimant’s reputation while the substantive suit continues.
In the certified true copy of the court order seen by our correspondent, the judge directed that, Dr Sandra Duru, known as Prof Mgbeke, be restrained “either by herself, her agents, privies, or howsoever called” from 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 full hearing of the case.
Meta Platforms Inc. must “immediately take down and/or disable access to all offending publications, posts or broadcasts made by the 1st Defendant against the Claimant,” whether under her real name or the pseudonym “Prof Mgbeke,” until the conclusion of the matter.
Facebook must also preserve all relevant electronic evidence, including “content, metadata and digital footprints associated with the offending posts and user accounts operated by the 1st Defendant,” to aid the court’s determination.
Justice Mohammed underscored that the injunction was protective rather than punitive, designed “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 noted that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had established a “clear prima facie case of ongoing defamation, with irreparable harm to reputation that cannot be adequately remedied by monetary damages alone.”
According to court filings, Dr Duru allegedly conducted a “sustained and malicious campaign of cyberbullying, harassment and defamation,” publishing at least 30 posts between May and October 2025 that went viral and exposed the senator to public hostility, security threats and emotional distress.
The court was told that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had formally placed Meta on notice, identifying specific links and content she deemed offensive. The judge noted claims that Facebook’s inaction “enabled the continued accessibility of the defamatory materials and facilitated further attacks,” raising “serious questions for trial.”
The legal battle stems from earlier public exchanges between the parties. Eight months ago, Dr Duru released what she described as evidence from phone conversations alleging that then-suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had lied about a sexual harassment claim against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
During a monitored Facebook Live broadcast, Dr Duru claimed that the senator also offered her N200 million to make false accusations related to organ harvesting, allegations Akpoti-Uduaghan strongly denies. The activist accused the senator of attempting to “destroy men” and of having “no actual evidence to support her sexual harassment claim” against Akpabio.
Legal analysts say the ruling highlights growing judicial scrutiny over online conduct and the responsibilities of social media platforms in policing defamatory content, especially when formal legal notices have been served. The decision reinforces constitutional protections for dignity, reputation and privacy, even as courts balance digital expression rights.
