Justice Olalekan Oresanya of an
Ikeja High Court has awarded N5million damages against a singer, Ikuforijimi
Olaitan Abdulrahman, aka Oxlade over a leaked s3x tape with a woman on social
media In a judgement dated 24th January 2023, and trending online,
Justice Oresanya described the action of the singer, in secretly recording an
explicit s3x with a woman and thereafter leaking it online as “d espicable,
horrendous, distasteful and classless.
The sex tape of the singer had
surfaced online in February 2022, without the knowledge and consent of the
woman involved in the video.
The leaked video sparked public
outrage, and forced Oxlade to tender an apology to his fans and to the woman in
the video.
The woman, John Blessing had
filed a suit before the court on March 15, 2022 seeking N20million damages and
a declaration that the respondent (Oxlade’s) act of recording his explicit
sexual acts without her knowledge and consent amounted to flagrant
contravention of enabling laws and a gross violation of her fundamental rights
to dignity, privacy and freedom from discrimination guaranteed under Sections
34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); and Articles 5 of
the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and
Enforcement), Act, CAP A9, LFN, 2004.
After hearing counsel for the
claimant, E. T. Idemudia and O. S. Mabekoje with U. R. Michael for the
respondent, the judge had set for judgment when parties agreed to opt for
amicable resolution via a consent judgement.
Delivering judgment in the matter,
Justice Oresanya chastised the singer and cautioned him against such act in his
relationship with the opposite sex in the future.
“The action and attitude of the
Respondent (Oxlade), who is said to be a celebrity, is despicable, horrendous,
distasteful and classless. The Respondent is admonished strongly to act with
utmost circumspection in his relationship with fellow humans, especially the
opposite sex. “what goes around comes around”. I need not say more,” the judge
said.
In the course of trial, the judge
berated Oxlade for treating the judicial process with disrespect and accused
his lawyer of aiding him to desecrate the temple of justice.
“The attitude of the respondent
towards the proceeding leaves much to be desired.
“The Respondent failed to appear in
this court and the only reason given for the respondent’s absence by his former
counsel was the celebrity status of the respondent which to my mind cannot be
equated to that of many notable celebrity artistes in this country who have
comported themselves well respectably both within and outside of this country.
“Counsel, as ministers in the temple
of justice, should never encourage any party to a law suit or client in
treating the temple of justice with disrespect and disdain no matter the status
of the client in the society.
“Client comes and client goes, the
legal profession and institution remains. It is also disturbing to note as part
of the tardiness of the r espondent and his counsel that this terms of
settlement was filed after the Honourable Court had concluded the hearing of
the matter and on the verge of delivering its Judgment on the merit fixed for
January 16, 2023," the court said.
Justice Oresanya said the court
would have awarded exemplary and aggravated damages far greater than the agreed
settlement sum of N5 million against the respondent for the alleged “cruel
violation of the privacy of the claimant via the online/internet publication of
an explicit sex tape involving the claimant and the respondent on 9th February,
2022.”
The judge thereafter entered the
Terms of Settlement dated January 11, 2023 as the judgment of the court.
By the consent judgement, Oxlade is
to pay the N5million damages awarded against him to the claimant in two
instalments of N2million and N3million respectively.
The court judge gave an order of
perpetual injunction against the claimant from initiating any further legal
process or any process in respect of the facts and matters giving rise to the
suit, and from instituting or discussing the issues constituted in the claim on
any platform, and before any third party.
Justice Oresanya admonished parties,
their privies, assigns, agents, successors, legal counsel, and personal
representatives agree to maintain confidentiality of all non-public information
and materials pertaining to the suit, and the Terms of Settlement.
He ordered that failure of either
party to adhere to the terms shall entitle the affected party to damages for
such breach, including any and all injuries incurred as a result of such
disclosure.
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