Justice O. A. Oresanya of a Lagos State High Court has awarded N5m damages against a singer, Ikuforijimi Abdulrahman, aka Oxlade, over a leaked explicit sex tape with a woman on a social media app, Snapchat.
A sex tape of the singer went viral online on February 9, 2022, as the artiste later apologised to his fans.
While delivering judgement on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, the judge described the action of the singer in secretly recording the explicit sex and leaking the tape online as “despicable, horrendous, distasteful and classless.”
The claimant in the suit, Blessing, had on March 15, 2022, filed a suit before the court demanding N20m damages and a declaration that the respondent’s (Oxlade) act of recording their sexual acts without her knowledge and consent amounted to 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.
When the matter came up, the judge was ready for judgement when counsel for the claimant, E. T. Idemudia and O. S. Mabekoje, with U. R. Michael for the respondent, announced their appearance and both parties agreed to opt for amicable resolution via a consent judgement.
However, Justice Oresanya lambasted the singer.
“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.