The Royal Courts of Justice in the UK has ruled that David Hundeyin, a Nigerian investigative journalist, must pay £95,000 for defaming Charles Northcott, a journalist with the BBC.
The court found that Hundeyin made false claims in his article, “Journalism Career Graveyard.” The article accused Northcott of having an improper relationship with Kiki Mordi, the reporter for the BBC’s “Sex for Grades” documentary.
Hundeyin also claimed this relationship sidelined another contributor, Oge Obi, who he described as the main creator of the film.
In court, Northcott denied these allegations and explained how they damaged his personal and professional life. “The libel has had a very serious impact on me both professionally and personally and caused me serious harm and distress,” he stated.
The court agreed and awarded £95,000, which included extra damages because of the severe harm caused by the claims. Hundeyin was also ordered to remove the article from his website after failing to comply with an earlier order in July.
Hundeyin, known for his bold statements on social media, did not attend court and had no legal representation during the ruling.
This case dates back to 2019 when the “Sex for Grades” documentary exposed how lecturers at Nigerian universities harassed female students. Mordi worked with Northcott and other BBC staff to produce the award-winning film.
However, in 2022, Hundeyin published his article accusing Northcott of misconduct, creating online controversy.
Hundeyin’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) gained millions of views, where he tagged Northcott and Mordi, daring them to sue him. One of his tweets read, “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?”
The court dismissed these claims, calling Hundeyin’s actions harassment and trolling. It also found no evidence to support the accusations of a romantic link between Northcott and Mordi.
Northcott’s lawyer, Ms. Wilson, argued that Hundeyin’s actions were a deliberate campaign of defamation and cyberbullying. The court agreed, saying Hundeyin’s behaviour made the situation worse and justified the extra damages awarded.
