Femi Falana (SAN) has taken Meta Platforms Inc. to court in Lagos, demanding $5 million over claims they invaded his privacy. Meta is the American company that owns Facebook.
Through his lawyer, Olumide Babalola, Falana says Meta published a video titled “AfriCare Health Center” on Facebook, falsely claiming he had a medical condition called ‘Prostatitis’. He says this violates his right to privacy under Nigeria’s constitution.
The case was filed under various Nigerian laws, including the 2023 Data Protection Act and constitutional rights rules.
Court documents show Falana claims the Facebook video is “false, inaccurate, misleading and unfair to him” and breaks Nigerian data protection laws.
He wants the court to declare that Meta’s continued use of his name, images and supposed voice in the “AfriCare Health Centre” video violates his constitutional right to privacy.
Also, Falana is asking the court to order Meta to remove the video from Facebook immediately.
He’s seeking $5 million in damages, saying the false video about his health has damaged his reputation built over many years.
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He argues that Meta’s false and disturbing publication has caused him mental and emotional distress.
In supporting documents, Falana describes himself as known for fighting legal battles against government policies that harm citizens’ rights. His work includes constitutional law, civil rights, and international human rights cases.
He says he discovered the video on Facebook on 16 January 2025. According to him, the video falsely quotes him as saying he had suffered from prostatitis for 16 years, starting at age 50. “I have never suffered any disease known as ‘Prostatitis’ in my life,” Falana insisted.
He explains that he’s not suing for libel, but rather because the false stories are “offensive, reckless, insensitive, disturbing, and an unjustifiable intrusion” into his private life.
He believes Meta was careless in allowing the fake health claims to be published, suggesting they did it to increase traffic and advertising revenue on Facebook.
The senior lawyer says the ongoing publication continues to cause him “anxiety, sadness, and exposure to ridicule” and has asked the court to protect his reputation.
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