Celebrities
Nigerian-American Actress Adunni Ade Drags Google and Meta to Court Over Dino Melaye Stories, and Walks Away With ₦30 Million
When false stories about Nollywood actress Adunni Ade began circulating online, she did not issue a statement, didn’t go on Instagram Live, and didn’t engage bloggers. She hired a lawyer, walked into a courtroom, and let the judge do the talking.
The result: a ₦30 million judgment in her favour against two of the biggest technology companies in the world Google LLC and Meta Platforms Inc.
What the Stories Said
The trouble began when two stories linking Adunni Ade to Senator Dino Melaye surfaced and remained indexed on Google and YouTube. The first claimed that Dino Melaye had used a fake Patek Philippe watch to woo her. The second listed her among six celebrities alleged to have dated the senator.
Adunni maintained that both stories were false, that she had no such relationship with Dino Melaye, and that the continued publication of her name and image in connection with these narratives was damaging her reputation and causing her emotional and psychological distress.
The Lawsuit
In July 2024, Adunni Adewale, her full legal name, filed an Originating Summons at the High Court of Lagos State, Lagos Judicial Division, before Hon. Justice I. O. Harrison. The suit, number LD/17783MFHR/2024, named Google LLC and Meta Platforms Inc. as respondents.
Her case was built on three legal pillars: Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which guarantees the right to privacy; the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which requires that personal data be processed in a fair, lawful, and accurate manner; and the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009.
She argued that both Google and Meta, as data controllers, had failed in their obligation to ensure that her name and image were not used in a misleading or inaccurate context. By retaining the stories on their platforms, they had painted her in a false light and invaded her right to privacy.
What Happened in Court
Meta Platforms Inc., named as the second respondent, filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection in April 2025. Adunni subsequently filed a notice of discontinuance against Meta, and the company was struck out of the case in June 2025.
Google LLC, the first respondent, failed to appear in court personally or through counsel and did not file any process in response to the suit.
On 3rd June 2025, Adunni’s counsel, E. Solomon, moved the originating summons and the case was set down for judgment.
The Judgment
On 9th July 2025, Justice I. O. Harrison delivered judgment in favour of Adunni Ade.
The court found that Google, as the data controller, had failed to ensure that her personal data was processed in a fair, lawful, and transparent manner. The association of her name and image with a false and embarrassing narrative constituted publication in a false light and was ruled an invasion of her right to privacy under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The court awarded Adunni ₦30 million in general damages and issued a consequential order directing Google to delete or expunge her name and picture from both offending publications on all its platforms forthwith.
Her Response
Adunni announced the outcome on Instagram without fanfare. Her caption read simply:
“Not every battle needs a response. Some need a courtroom. Unto the next.”
Why This Matters
The case is significant beyond the celebrity angle. It represents one of the first instances of a Nigerian public figure successfully suing a global technology platform over the retention of false and privacy-violating content under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 — and winning.
It sets a precedent that Nigerian courts are willing to hold international data controllers accountable under domestic privacy law, and that individuals have legal recourse when their personal data is used to paint them in a false light online.
For Adunni Ade, it is also a personal vindication achieved not through social media noise, but through the courts.
