UK Court Orders David Hundeyin To Pay £95,000 For Defamation
The Royal Courts of Justice in the United Kingdom has ruled against Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin, ordering him to pay in damages for defamation.
The court found Hundeyin guilty of making unfounded and damaging allegations against BBC journalist Charles Northcott in an article titled “Journalism Career Graveyard.” The judgment, delivered on October 8, 2024, stemmed from claims Hundeyin made regarding Northcott’s conduct during the production of the Sex for Grades documentary.
Hundeyin alleged that Northcott had an inappropriate sexual relationship with Kiki Mordi, the on-screen reporter for the exposé, and claimed this sidelined another contributor, Oge Obi, whom Hundeyin credited as the documentary’s mastermind.
Northcott denied the allegations in court, stating they caused significant harm to his professional and personal life. “The libel has had a very serious impact on me both professionally and personally and caused me serious harm and distress,” Northcott said in his testimony.
The court agreed, awarding Northcott , including aggravated damages, to restore his reputation and compensate for the distress caused by Hundeyin’s publication. Additionally, the court ordered Hundeyin to remove the defamatory article from his website, citing his failure to comply with a prior directive issued in July 2024.
Despite the ruling, Hundeyin, known for his controversial online presence, did not attend the proceedings and was unrepresented in court.
The case dates back to the release of the Sex for Grades documentary in 2019, which exposed predatory behaviour by lecturers in Nigerian universities. Hundeyin’s allegations, published in 2022, triggered widespread debate online, gaining millions of impressions on social media.
Hundeyin’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) tagged both Mordi and Northcott, daring them to sue him. In one post, he wrote, “Then why don’t you sue me for categorically stating that you had sex multiple times with @CNorthcott1 in the course of producing that documentary?” He also shared a video of Northcott and Mordi in Trafalgar Square, insinuating a romantic connection—claims the court found baseless.
The court condemned Hundeyin’s actions as deliberate harassment and trolling, with Northcott’s legal team arguing his behaviour constituted a calculated campaign of defamation and cyberbullying.
The judgment serves as a warning against unchecked online conduct, emphasising accountability for the harm caused by false and defamatory statements.
