The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikorodu has ordered social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to disclose the identity of an anonymous user accused of manipulating a Nigerian law graduate's birthday post and defaming her online.
In a judgment delivered on June 5, 2026, Justice Adeniyi Pokanu ruled that the alteration and republication of Esther Agboola's social media post without her consent violated her constitutional right to privacy.
According to court documents, Agboola had shared photos on X on January 9, 2026, with the caption, "Chapter 25. Happy Birthday to me!" to celebrate her 25th birthday. She later discovered that an anonymous user, identified as @_AbiolaPharays, had retrieved her 2025 birthday post, manipulated its timestamp, and republished it in a misleading manner.
The court held that X Corp possesses the necessary account information and activity logs to identify the anonymous user and ordered the company to submit an affidavit disclosing the account holder's identity.
Justice Pokanu awarded ₦20 million in general damages against the anonymous user for the emotional distress, mental anguish, reputational harm, and humiliation suffered by Agboola.
The court also imposed ₦50 million in conditional damages against X Corp if it fails to comply with the order to disclose the user's identity.
The ruling reinforces the responsibility of social media platforms to cooperate with lawful court orders while protecting the rights of individuals affected by online misconduct.
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