An Abuja High Court has struck out a lawsuit brought by Ali Bello, Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor, against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Bello filed the suit in May 2024, claiming that Senator Natasha violated his constitutional rights by sharing images of his residence along with its address on social media.
The controversial post alleged that former Governor Yahaya Bello, wanted by the EFCC at the time, was being shielded at the property.
Ali Bello maintained that the house was his family home and accused the senator of misrepresenting it as belonging to Yahaya Bello, popularly known as the “White Lion of Kogi.”
He requested N1 billion in damages and a public apology, arguing that the post endangered his household and breached his right to privacy.
Presiding over the case, Justice Sylvanus Oriji identified three central legal questions, including whether publicising the house’s image and location online infringed on Bello’s privacy.
The court determined that since the house is visible from public spaces, sharing its image online did not amount to a violation.
Furthermore, the judge noted there was no concrete evidence showing that the EFCC raided the house based on the senator’s post or that the house was ever owned by the ex-governor.
A court inspection confirmed that Bello indeed lived there with his family.
Though Justice Oriji condemned the act of publishing someone’s address without a strong justification, he ruled that it was not enough to merit the claimed compensation or an apology.
The suit was dismissed, with both sides ordered to bear their own legal expenses.