An Ikeja High Court has awarded the sum of N 5 million in damages against ‘Want You’ crooner, Ikuforijimi Olaitan Abdulrahman, popularly known as Oxlade over a leaked explicit s3x tape with a woman on social media app, Snapchat.
The court ordered Oxlade to pay the lump sum to a lady identified as John Blessing who dragged the popular singer to court over their leaked s3xtape which went viral in February 2022.
Recall that John Blessing had filed a lawsuit against the singer on March 15, 2022, seeking N20million damages and a declaration that the respondent’s (Oxlade) act of recording his explicit s3xual acts without her knowledge and consent amounted to flagrant contravention of enabling laws and 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.
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While delivering his judgement on the case, Justice Olalekan Oresanya said that it was despicable, horrendous, distasteful and classless for the singer to secretly record himself having s3x with John Blessing before it was leaked online.
Justice Olalekan said; ‘‘The action and attitude of the Respondent (Oxlade), who is said to be a celebrity, is despicable, horrendous, distasteful and classless. The Respondent is admonished strongly to act with utmost circumspection in his relationship with fellow humans, especially the opposite s3x. What goes around comes around. I need not say more. The attitude of the respondent towards the proceeding leaves much to be desired. The Respondent failed to appear in this court and the only reason given for the respondent’s absence by his former counsel was the celebrity status of the respondent 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.
‘‘Counsel, as ministers in the temple of justice, should never encourage any party to a lawsuit or client in treating the temple of justice with disrespect and disdain no matter the status of the client in the society.
‘‘Client comes and client goes, the legal profession and institution remains. It is also disturbing to note as part of the tardiness of the respondent and his counsel that this terms of settlement was filed after the Honourable Court had concluded the hearing of the matter and on the verge of delivering its Judgment on the merit fixed for January 16, 2023.’’ The presiding judge added.
