A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained United Kingdom-based activist Dr Sandra Duru, also known as Prof Mgbeke, and Meta Platforms Inc, the operator of Facebook, from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory content against Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.
The court granted an interim injunction pending the determination of the substantive suit, holding that the matter raised a serious question to be tried and that continued publication could cause irreparable damage to the senator’s reputation. Justice I Mohammed delivered the ruling in Suit No FCT/HC/CV/229/2025, following a motion on notice filed by the claimant seeking urgent judicial protection against sustained online attacks.
In the certified copy of the ruling, the court restrained Dr Duru, either personally or through agents, from further publishing, posting, sharing, or disseminating on Facebook or any social media platform material considered defamatory, scandalous, inciteful, or injurious to the claimant, pending the suit’s determination.
Justice Mohammed further stated that “the balance of convenience overwhelmingly favours the Applicant,” citing the alleged sustained publications and the risk of continued reputational injury. The court noted that the first defendant allegedly published no fewer than 30 posts between May and October 2025, which reportedly went viral, exposing the claimant to hostility, security threats, and emotional trauma.
Regarding Meta’s role, the judge observed that the claimant had formally placed the platform on notice, identifying specific links and content, and that the company’s failure to act “enabled the continued accessibility of the defamatory materials and facilitated further attacks,” an issue deemed a serious question for trial.
The development comes eight months after Duru released what she described as evidence from exclusive phone conversations, claiming that the then-suspended lawmaker lied against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, over a controversial sexual harassment allegation. Duru also alleged during a Facebook Live session that Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to induce her with N200 million to falsely accuse the former governor of organ harvesting.
The court additionally ordered Meta to take down the offending posts and preserve all electronic evidence to aid in the fair determination of the case, emphasizing that the injunctions are preservatory and not punitive.
