The High Court of Imo State has dismissed a fundamental rights suit seeking $25 million in damages from Meta Platforms Inc. over alleged breaches of privacy and data protection rights.
The suit was filed by Chika Chukwuemeka, who accused the technology company of collecting, processing, profiling and using her personal data for behavioural advertising without her consent.
Chukwuemeka argued that Meta’s actions breached her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
Among the reliefs she sought were declarations that Meta’s alleged processing of her personal data was unlawful, an order stopping further processing and an order requiring the company to align its data-processing activities in Nigeria with the NDPA 2023.
She also asked the court to direct Meta to file an affidavit confirming its compliance.
Chukwuemeka sought $10 million in general damages and another $15 million in exemplary damages. She also requested post-judgement interest at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rate until the judgement debt was fully settled.
Delivering judgement on July 21, 2026, L.C. Alinnor, the presiding judge, held that Chukwuemeka failed to prove that Meta violated her constitutional right to privacy or unlawfully processed her personal data.
The court noted that a substantial part of the case was based on a final order previously issued against Meta by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Meta had challenged those orders before the Federal High Court in Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. v. Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
The Federal High Court subsequently adopted a settlement reached between Meta and the NDPC as a consent judgement, thereby ending the dispute.
Relying on submissions by Paul Mgbeoma, counsel to Meta, Alinnor held that the NDPC’s final orders, having been set aside, could no longer serve as the basis for Chukwuemeka’s claims.
The judge also examined the case independently of the NDPC proceedings and found that the applicant had not provided sufficient evidence to establish a specific infringement of her privacy rights by Meta.
According to the judge, the technology company had not been presented with enough detailed facts or evidence to justify the reliefs sought by the applicant.
The court consequently found that the foundation on which a substantial part of Chukwuemeka’s case rested was no longer valid and described the suit as “built on nothing”.
The suit was dismissed in its entirety for want of merit.