A Lagos High Court has awarded Nollywood actress Adunni Ade ₦30 million after she sued Google LLC over stories linking her romantically to former senator Dino Melaye.

Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos Judicial Division delivered the judgment on July 9, 2025. The court also ordered Google to remove the stories from Google.com and YouTube and publish a formal apology.

Why Adunni Ade Sued Google

Adunni, whose legal name is Adunni Adewale, filed the suit in July 2024. She challenged two stories that appeared on Google and YouTube.

The first story carried the headline, “How Dino Melaye used fake Patek Watch to woo and knack Actress Adunni Ade back, front and centre.”

The second story claimed she exchanged words with an Instagram blog after it listed her among six celebrities said to have dated Melaye.

The actress argued that the stories violated her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. She also said they breached the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which requires personal data to be handled fairly, accurately and transparently.

Court Rules Against Google

Justice Harrison ruled in Adunni’s favour. The judge held that Google failed to ensure the information connected to the actress was accurate and not misleading.

Google did not defend the case. Although the court served the company electronically in December 2024, it filed no response. It also sent no lawyer and did not appear during the proceedings.

Meta Platforms was originally listed as a second respondent. However, the court removed the company from the case in April 2025 after it filed a preliminary objection.

Damages and Court Orders

Adunni asked the court to award her ₦100 million in damages. Instead, the judge awarded her ₦30 million in general damages.

The court also directed Google to delete the disputed publications from Google.com and YouTube. It further ordered the company to issue a formal apology.