On Tuesday, an Abuja High Court dismissed a legal case filed by Ali Bello, the Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor, against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Bello had accused the senator of violating his privacy and filed the case on May 21, 2024. He claimed that she posted photos of his house and address on her X (formerly Twitter) account. He said this action went against his rights under the Nigerian Constitution.
Through his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, Bello asked for eight different things from the court. These included respect for his dignity and the right to own property. He also requested N1 billion as compensation.
Bello also said that Senator Natasha wrongly accused him of hiding former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, in his house while the EFCC was looking for him. He said she claimed the house belonged to the ex-governor, who is often called the “White Lion of Kogi.”
Justice Slyvanius Oriji, who handled the case, said there were three main things to decide. One of them was whether the social media post really violated Bello’s right to privacy.
The judge ruled that Bello’s house is in a public space and can be seen by anyone, so posting its photo did not break privacy rules. He added that a normal person would not find the post to be highly offensive.
The judge also pointed out that Bello never claimed EFCC agents came to his house because of the post, so there was no proof that his privacy had been invaded.
Justice Oriji also said Natasha could not prove that the house belonged to the former governor or was under EFCC seizure. The court even visited the house and confirmed that Bello and his family lived there.
The judge criticized Senator Natasha for posting someone’s house and address online without proper reason. He said that such action was wrong and unacceptable, especially from a public figure.
While the judge agreed that Bello had the right to privacy under the Constitution, he rejected the request for a public apology and the demand for N1 billion compensation.
Finally, the court ruled that each side should pay for their own legal costs.
