Nigerian politician and wife settle defamation action with Co Kildare blogger

Oluseye Oladejo, a ranking member of APC political party, and his wife, Dr Oluwatoyin Oladejo, claimed they were defamed in videos posted on Facebook following their wedding

Ms Kudirat Adunni Alowonle, with an address in Co Kildare, was not present in court. Photograph: Facebook
Ms Kudirat Adunni Alowonle, with an address in Co Kildare, was not present in court. Photograph: Facebook

A Nigerian politician and his psychiatrist wife have resolved High Court proceedings they brought against an Irish-based woman alleged to have defamed them in videos posted by her on social media.

Oluseye Oladejo, a ranking member of the APC political party in Nigeria, and his wife Dr Oluwatoyin Oladejo, had claimed they were defamed in videos allegedly posted on Facebook by Kudirat Adunni Alowonle.

The couple claimed that in the videos the defendant made several untrue and highly defamatory comments following their marriage in Lagos, Nigeria in June.

The plaintiffs, represented by Gerard Martin Byrne BL, instructed by Geoffery Nwadike of GN & Co Solicitors, had sought various orders against the defendant including an injunction directing her to remove the allegedly defamatory videos.

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Oluseye Oladejo and his wife, Dr Oluwatoyin Oladejo, claimed they were defamed in videos allegedly posted on Facebook by Kudirat Adunni Alowonle.
Oluseye Oladejo and his wife, Dr Oluwatoyin Oladejo, claimed they were defamed in videos allegedly posted on Facebook by Kudirat Adunni Alowonle.

They also sought orders under the 2009 Defamation Act prohibiting the defendant from publishing any further defamatory material about them, that a correction be published by the defendant, and that she disclose with whom she shared the allegedly defamatory videos.

Last week Mr Justice Brian O’Moore granted the couple permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on the defendant, with an address at Hillview, Sallins, Co Kildare.

When the matter returned to court on Tuesday Mr Byrne said that the matter had been resolved.

The defendant had taken down the videos and had published an apology to his clients, he said. As a result, counsel said, the injunction proceedings could be struck out.

The defendant was not present in court and no representations were made on her behalf.

The court previously heard that 57-year-old Mr Oladeyo, also known as ‘Hon Seye’, is a spokesperson for his party in the Lagos area and has held several important administrative positions in Nigeria during his political career.

Dr Oluwatoyin Oladejo, aka ‘Dr Tee’, is a Texas-based psychiatric medical practitioner, who holds both US and Nigerian citizenship.

Shortly after their marriage the couple claimed that the defendant defamed them in Live Shows broadcast on her Facebook Page, entitled Yeye Kudi Court Room.

In a sworn statement to the court, Dr Oladejo said that in the broadcasts the defendant “published false statements and made serious allegations against us that are highly defamatory”.

Dr Oladejo said all these false allegations had damaged her and her husband’s good names and characters.

They argued that the defendant would continue to defame them unless the court granted them orders directing the defendant to take them down.