By Emmanuel Thomas I Friday, April 17.26
LAGOS, Nigeria – An online news outlet has been ordered to pay a staggering N100 million (£45,000) in damages after falsely claiming a top Lagos judge owned a luxury hideaway in the world’s tallest building.
The High Court of Lagos State pulled no punches when it ruled that Peoples Gazette had defamed a serving Justice with “wild and unsubstantiated” claims regarding a multi-million-dollar apartment in Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa.
Delivering the judgment in the Yaba/Surulere Judicial Division, Justice E. O. Ashade found that the publication was not only false but calculated to bring the judiciary into disrepute.
The court heard how the website’s report suggested the judge had amassed a secret fortune to fund a high-rolling lifestyle in the UAE. However, the claimant successfully argued that the story was a complete fabrication, designed to smear their professional reputation.
Justice Ashade awarded the N100m in general damages, sending a clear message to digital publishers about the consequences of “clickbait” journalism.
This isn’t the first time Peoples Gazette has found itself in the crosshairs of the Nigerian authorities and the legal system.
The Outlet: Launched in 2020, the Peoples Gazette has positioned itself as a hard-hitting investigative site, often focusing on government corruption.
The Reputation: While it has won fans for its “leaks,” it has also been accused of playing fast and loose with facts, leading to several high-profile clashes with the Nigerian government and the blocking of its domain by some internet service providers in 2021.
The Context: The Nigerian judiciary has recently moved toward a “zero tolerance” policy for online defamation, as social media platforms become a primary battleground for political and personal vendettas.
