- Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin found guilty of libel by the Royal Courts of Justice in the UK.
- David Hundeyin ordered to pay £95,000 in damages to BBC journalist Charles Northcott for defamatory allegations.
- Hundeyin accused Northcott of inappropriate behavior with Kiki Mordi during the Sex for Grades documentary production, which the court dismissed as unfounded.
- Court found that Hundeyin’s claims were not supported by credible video evidence, and the article was deemed defamatory.
Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin has been found guilty of libel by the Royal Courts of Justice in the United Kingdom.
The court ordered him to pay £95,000 in damages to BBC journalist Charles Northcott, bringing a contentious legal dispute to a definitive conclusion.
The case arose from allegations published by Hundeyin in his 2022 article, Journalism Career Graveyard, in which he accused Northcott of professional and ethical misconduct
However, in a judgment delivered on October 8, 2024, the court dismissed these claims as baseless, citing a lack of credible evidence.
The Allegations
Hundeyin alleged that Northcott had an inappropriate relationship with Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi during the production of the BBC’s Sex for Grades documentary.
He further claimed that Northcott sidelined another journalist, Oge Obi, who Hundeyin asserted was the original creator of the documentary’s concept.
However, the court found no merit in these accusations, stating that the video evidence presented by Hundeyin failed to substantiate his claims.
Court’s Findings and Judgment
Presiding over the case, Judge Wilson criticized Hundeyin’s conduct following the publication of the article, describing his social media activity as trolling and defamatory.
The judge noted that these actions exacerbated the harm to Northcott’s reputation and caused undue distress to both Northcott and Mordi.
In awarding damages, Judge Wilson stated:
“The court awards £95,000 in damages, including aggravated damages. This amount compensates the claimant for the damage to his reputation and vindicates his good name, while also accounting for the distress, hurt, and humiliation caused by the defendant’s false and defamatory publication.”
Additionally, the court mandated the removal of the defamatory article from Hundeyin’s website, referencing his earlier defiance of a July 2024 court order to take it down.
Defiance Conduct
Despite prior directives, Hundeyin continued to post provocative content online. This included sharing a video of Mordi and Northcott in Trafalgar Square, which he claimed was evidence of his allegations.
In one of his posts, Hundeyin tagged Mordi and wrote:
“Then why don’t you sue me for categorically stating that you had sex multiple times with [Northcott] in the course of producing that documentary and that this formed the sole basis of your fraudulent ‘career’?”
The court described these actions as intentional attempts to humiliate and distress both individuals further.
Northcott’s Statement
During the trial, Northcott testified about the severe professional and personal harm caused by the allegations, which amassed over 40 million impressions online between September 27 and October 31, 2022.
He noted that Hundeyin’s influence extended across England and Wales due to his education, public engagements, and book launches in the UK.