A Lagos State High Court in Southwest Nigeria fined a musician, Ikuforijimi Abdulrahman, also known as Oxlade, N5 million in damages for a leaked graphic s3x clip with a lady on Snapchat.
In February 2022, a s3x tape of the musician became viral online, and the artist later apologized to his followers.
Blessing, a claimant in the dispute, filed a complaint in court on March 15, 2022, seeking N20 million in damages.
She also sought a declaration that the respondent’s (Oxlade) act of recording their sexual acts without her knowledge and consent violated enabling laws and was 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.
However, while giving judgment in the matter on January 24, 2023, Justice O. A. Oresanya slammed the singer’s actions, calling the covert filming of the graphic intercourse and its subsequent distribution online “despicable, awful, nasty, and classless,” according to The PUNCH.
According to the publication, before the judgement, counsels for the claimant and respondents, E. T. Idemudia, O. S. Mabekoje, and U. R. Michael, respectively, told the court that both parties had decided to opt for amicable settlement through a consent judgement.
In his decision, the clearly enraged Justice Oresanya chastised the respondent, calling his actions disgusting and lacking in class.
“The behavior and attitude of the respondent (Oxlade), who is considered to be a celebrity, is vile, horrifying, repulsive, and classless,” the court said. The respondent is strongly advised to use extreme caution in his interactions with other individuals, particularly those of the opposite sex. What goes around eventually comes around. “I don’t think I need to say anything else.”
Justice Oresanya also chastised Oxlade for disrespecting the legal process and accused his counsel of assisting him in desecrating the temple of justice.
Oxlade had not appeared in court.
“The respondent failed to appear in this court, and the only reason given by his erstwhile counsel for the respondent’s absence was the respondent’s celebrity status, which to my mind cannot be equated to that of many notable celebrity artistes in this country who have comported themselves well respectably both within and outside of this country,” the judge said.
The judge then entered the conditions of settlement, dated January 11, 2023, as the court’s ruling.
“According to the consent judgment, Oxlade is to pay the claimant N5m in two payments of N2m and N3m,” Oresanya noted.
