Nollywood actress and filmmaker Adunni Ade has officially secured a major court victory that’s shaking up Nigeria’s entertainment and media scene. The Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice I.O. Harrison, awarded her ₦20 million in damages after finding that an online platform, Polance Media Ltd the publishers of naijanews.com, falsely linked her to Nigerian politician Senator Dino Melaye.
The case, filed in 2024 and decided on June 24, 2025, centered around a viral article titled “Six Popular Nigerian Celebrities Who Have Been Accused of Dating Dino Melaye.” The report lumped Adunni Ade among alleged girlfriends of the outspoken senator, without proof or consent. In her suit (No. LD/17781MFHR/2024), the actress argued that the story was not only false but also a gross invasion of her privacy under Nigeria’s Data Protection Act.
According to court documents, Justice Harrison agreed, ruling that Polance Media breached Adunni’s constitutional right to privacy and misused her personal data for sensational content. The court described the article as misleading, offensive, and harmful to her image. It also recognized “false light” publicity - when someone is portrayed in a misleading way as a legitimate ground for legal redress in Nigeria.
While the judgment came in June, the news only broke publicly in early October when Adunni Ade took to Instagram to share her victory and the official court papers. Her post quickly set social media on fire. “I won my case - Adunni Ade vs. Polace Media Limited. A false story was published about me, but the truth stood tall,” she wrote. “This judgment reaffirms that privacy matters and so does integrity.”
But the actress didn’t stop there. In her caption, she threw in a bit of humor and a warning shot. “Judge granted ₦20 million in damages, but blogger don japa. Na to garnish account remain,” she joked, hinting that collecting the damages might be another battle. She also praised her lawyer, saying, “Two cases won, a few more to go.”
Then came the moment everyone’s talking about, Adunni subtly calling out a fellow actress she accused of feeding the false story to the blogger. “And to you, my fellow actress, who told a false story to the cutie Jules, don’t worry, very soon the world will know the kind of snake you are,” she wrote, adding, “Envy and bitterness live and breathe within you. You are deadly.”
The post sent fans and industry insiders into speculation mode. Though Adunni didn’t name names, the “snake” comment had everyone guessing who the mystery actress could be.
So far, Polance Media has not made any public statement, and naijanews.com has reportedly deleted the controversial article. Adunni’s followers flooded her page with congratulatory messages, calling her a “fighter” and praising her for taking a stand against fake news and online defamation.
Beyond the gossip, the case marks a turning point in Nigerian media law. Legal analysts have described it as a “landmark decision” that could empower more public figures to sue over false online stories. It also reinforces that under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, using someone’s name or image without permission especially in misleading contexts can carry serious consequences.
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