A British court, the Royal Courts of Justice, has ruled against Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin in a libel case. The court found him guilty of making false and damaging claims about Charles Northcott, a journalist with the BBC, and ordered Hundeyin to pay £95,000 in damages.
The case stemmed from allegations Hundeyin made in his article Journalism Career Graveyard. In the article, he accused Northcott of using his role as the director of the BBC documentary “Sex for Grades” to obtain sexual favors from Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi, the on-screen reporter for the project. Hundeyin also claimed Northcott sidelined another journalist, Oge Obi, who he alleged was the true originator of the documentary idea.
Court Judgment
In its ruling, the court stated that Hundeyin’s accusations caused significant harm to Northcott’s personal and professional reputation. The judge noted that the false claims led to distress, humiliation, and damage to Northcott’s career.
“I accept that the libel had a very serious impact on the claimant, both personally and professionally. The court awards £95,000 in damages, including aggravated damages, to compensate for harm caused and to restore his good name,” the court’s judgment read.
The court also ordered Hundeyin to remove the defamatory article, but noted that he ignored this order.
Background on the Allegations
The BBC’s Sex for Grades documentary, released in 2019, exposed how some university lecturers in Nigeria exploit vulnerable female students by demanding sexual favors in exchange for academic assistance. Kiki Mordi worked with Northcott and other journalists on the project.
In 2022, three years after the documentary’s release, Hundeyin published his article, accusing Northcott of favoritism and inappropriate conduct with Mordi. He shared his claims on X (formerly Twitter), where they gained significant attention. Hundeyin’s posts, hashtags, and related content reportedly amassed over 40 million online impressions between September 27 and October 31, 2022.
Hundeyin’s Online Posts
Hundeyin doubled down on his allegations in multiple posts on X, tagging Mordi and challenging her and others to sue him. In one post, he stated, “Then why don’t you sue me for categorically stating that you had sex multiple times with @CNorthcott1 in the course of producing that documentary and that this formed the sole basis of your fraudulent ‘career.’”
In another post, Hundeyin shared a video of Northcott and Mordi in Trafalgar Square, suggesting it was evidence of their alleged inappropriate relationship. However, the court found the video irrelevant and unsubstantiated.
Court Findings
The court dismissed Hundeyin’s allegations as baseless and stated that his behavior after publishing the article amounted to trolling and harassment. It noted that his refusal to remove the article and his continued online attacks worsened the harm caused to Northcott and Mordi.
“Hundeyin’s post-publication conduct comfortably falls within the principles of aggravated damages. His campaign of trolling and persecution was calculated to cause maximum distress,” the court said.
Conclusively, The court’s judgment, delivered on October 8, 2024, ordered Hundeyin to pay damages and remove the defamatory content. Northcott, who was represented by Ms. Wilson, attended the hearing, while Hundeyin was neither present nor represented.
This ruling highlights the legal consequences of publishing false and defamatory statements, especially when amplified on social media.
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