Meta Platforms, Inc., global technology company,  has filed an appeal against the judgment of the Lagos State High Court delivered in favour of  Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, setting the stage for a potentially significant legal battle over digital rights, platform liability, and the enforcement of fundamental rights in Nigeria.

Femi Falana

The appeal, dated April 10, 2026, follows the ruling in Suit No. LD/18843MFHR/2025: Falana v. Meta Platforms, Inc., in which Justice O. A. Oresanya ruled in favour of Falana and awarded damages of $25,000 over a video publication alleged to have violated his rights.

Meta’s legal team, led by Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo, SAN, filed a Notice of Appeal containing eight grounds challenging both the procedural and substantive basis of the High Court’s decision.

At the centre of the appeal is a jurisdictional dispute over whether the case should have been treated as a fundamental rights enforcement matter.

Meta argued that the trial court erred by entertaining the suit under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, maintaining that the claims were essentially based on alleged false publication and reputational damage.

According to the company, such claims properly fall within the scope of defamation law, rather than constitutional rights enforcement.

Meta contended that by allowing the case to proceed as a fundamental rights action, the trial court assumed jurisdiction it did not possess.

The company also challenged the court’s finding of liability based on the doctrine of undisclosed principal.

Meta argued that there was no evidence establishing a principal-agent relationship between the company and the publisher of the disputed video, identified as AfriCare Health Centre.

The technology firm maintained that the video was created and uploaded by an independent third party and not by Meta itself.

It further emphasised that as a digital intermediary platform, it neither originated nor exercised editorial control over the material.

In addition, the appeal questioned the trial court’s conclusion that Meta violated Section 24(1)(a) and (e) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

Meta insisted that it was wrongly classified as a data controller in the case.

According to the company, there was no evidence showing that it determined the purpose or the means of processing the personal data involved in the disputed publication.

Meta also faulted the High Court’s decision to award $25,000 in damages to Falana.

The company described the award as unwarranted and urged the appellate court to set aside both the damages and the entire judgment delivered by the lower court.

Raising concerns about the conduct of the proceedings, Meta alleged that it was denied a fair hearing during the trial.

The company claimed that the trial court raised and decided certain issues suo motu without inviting submissions from the parties involved.

Meta further alleged that the court failed to properly consider key arguments presented in its defence before reaching its decision.

Delta State Police Command has revealed how a 17-year-old boy allegedly hacked into celebrities’ WhatsApp accounts and sold explicit adult content to classmates.

This was disclosed in a viral video shared by comedian Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save, during a security awareness programme where he spoke with Temi Agbede-Zuokumor, divisional police officer (DPO) of Ugborikoko Division, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The DPO explained that the case came to light after a routine check of a student’s phone, which first raised suspicion.

Agbede-Zuokumor disclosed that the student’s mother had initially claimed the phone belonged to his sister, but further inspection revealed otherwise.

“The woman looked very modest, so I asked her if she was from Deeper Life. She said no. I then asked why her son took a phone to school, and she claimed it belonged to his sister,” she narrated.

The DPO expressed that the development triggered her suspicion, prompting officers to examine the phone’s contents.

“Something told me to check the phone. When we did, we discovered that everything on the device belonged to the boy,” she said.

She added that the phone contained over 80 foreign numbers, including Australian contacts, alongside numerous explicit materials.

“We saw several foreign numbers, over 80 Australian lines, and the phone was filled with pornographic content,” she said.

The police officer further disclosed that the suspect allegedly sold explicit materials to his classmates, who referred to him as “boss.”

“We also saw chats with his classmates asking if he had explicit content to sell. They were calling him ‘boss’ in school,” she added.

According to her, investigations also revealed that the teenager had hacked into WhatsApp accounts belonging to prominent individuals and used them to solicit money.

“We discovered he had access to WhatsApp accounts of some celebrities, which he used to demand money from unsuspecting victims,” she said.

Speaking during the session, comedian I Go Save recounted a similar experience, describing how he was once contacted by a suspected fraudster impersonating Elon Musk, Forbes world richest man.

“That was how someone impersonating Elon Musk messaged me, saying he was stranded and needed a recharge card,” he said.

“I was surprised and asked which network he used. The person later sent an Opay account,” he added.

The police warned parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, stressing the growing concern of cyber-related crimes among young people.

Federal government has inaugurated the Electronic Pharmacy Regulation Platform (E-Pharmacy) to enhance the safety of online healthcare services.

Pic credit….healthreporters.info

The platform, championed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), is designed to regulate digital pharmaceutical services and improve public health outcomes.

Inaugurating the platform, Prof. Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, said the initiative signified Nigeria’s commitment to building a world-class regulatory environment.

Pate noted that pharmacy regulation had faced significant challenges for over three decades but expressed optimism that the new platform would strengthen oversight and accountability.

He said the initiative would enable evidence-based monitoring of pharmaceutical practices while supporting innovation and investment in the health sector.

“This launch is a testament to our collective commitment to advancing technology in the service of health, safety and human dignity.

“It is a decisive step to ensure that pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria aligns with national and global health priorities, reflecting the realities of the 21st century.

“It enables the country to adopt evidence-based approaches to monitoring and protecting public health while supporting innovation and investment,” he said.

The minister added that the platform would help establish a safe, accessible and well-regulated national e-pharmacy ecosystem driven by digital technology.

Earlier, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed, registrar/chief executive officer of PCN, said the need to regulate online pharmacy operations became more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahmed said the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital tools and e-commerce in healthcare, exposing longstanding inefficiencies in pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly in Africa and Nigeria.

“This has led to the increasing adoption of digitised distribution of essential medicines through cost-effective and technology-enabled models.

“For decades, PCN has regulated pharmacy education, training, practice and business in Nigeria. However, as the world shifts towards digital solutions, access to medicines has evolved.

“The Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 provide a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, operation and oversight of digital pharmaceutical services,” he said.

He added that the framework would ensure that ethical standards and patient safety are not compromised in the delivery of online pharmaceutical services.