Femi Falana, a well-known Nigerian human rights lawyer, has taken legal action against Meta Platforms Inc. (the parent company of Facebook), filing a $5 million lawsuit for invasion of privacy.
The lawsuit, filed in a Lagos High Court, accuses Meta of publishing false information about Falana’s health, which he claims has caused significant emotional distress.
The case, which is being handled by Falana’s lawyer, Olumide Babalola, is based on violations of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 and the 1999 Constitution.
According to Falana, Meta published a video on Facebook through the “AfriCare Health Centre” page that falsely claimed he had been battling prostatitis for over 16 years.
Falana claimed the publication violated his right to privacy and was a breach of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act. “The video and its contents are false, inaccurate, misleading, and unfair to me,” Falana said, adding, “The video paints me in a false light and as such is an invasion of my privacy.”
Falana described the video as reckless and insensitive, calling the misuse of his name and image a serious violation of his privacy.
He stated that the false claims have caused him anxiety, sadness, and exposure to ridicule.
“My name is Femi Falana, and I have been battling prostatitis for over 16 years. At the age of 50, I was diagnosed with this condition. Every day I faced pain, discomfort, and constant fatigue. I had trouble urinating, lower back pain, and other symptoms that made it difficult to live a full life. Despite consulting the best urologists in the country, no one could offer me effective treatment. I was prescribed numerous medications, physical therapy, even surgery, but the problem was that these methods only temporarily relieved the symptoms.”
Falana strongly refuted the claims, asserting, “I have never suffered any disease known as prostatitis in my life. My health life is part of my private life, and the publication is entirely false, offensive, and fabricated.” He added that he has had no dealings with Meta or the “AfriCare Health Centre” page.
Along with the $5 million in damages, Falana is also seeking a court order for Meta to remove the video and prevent any further publication of the false information. The lawsuit aims to protect his reputation and fundamental right to privacy.
Falana further accused Meta of negligence, stating, “For their failure to verify the page and video before publishing, I believe the Respondent’s publicity of my name and image in a false light was done carelessly and recklessly to draw traffic to the Respondent’s platform to boost its advertisement revenues.”
