A British High Court has ordered a woman to pay more than £25,000 (about $33,700) in damages to a Nigerian energy trader after falsely accusing him of rape and launching a years-long campaign of online defamation and harassment.
According to Daily Mail, Cynthia Chia was found liable for libel and harassment against Idowu Ogunkanmi, 44, after a prolonged and vicious campaign that included false rape allegations, extortion attempts, and public smear tactics on social media.
Chia did not attend the civil proceedings, and the court granted a default judgment in favor of Ogunkanmi, who resides in Dubai.
A Brief Encounter Turned Nightmare
According to court documents, the two met in 2015 at a London nightclub, engaging in a brief consensual encounter. Ogunkanmi returned to Dubai shortly after, but what followed was described by the judge as a “sustained, relentless and vindictive” effort by Chia to defame and psychologically torment him.
Over the years, Chia bombarded Ogunkanmi with harassing phone calls and messages, sometimes up to 100 times a day. She also tried to extort money under false pretenses, once receiving £250 for a supposed phone bill.
False Allegation and Online Smear Campaign
In 2016, Chia falsely accused Ogunkanmi of rape. He voluntarily returned to the UK to cooperate with authorities. The police investigation was eventually dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Despite the closure of the criminal case, Chia continued her defamatory attacks from 2018 to 2022, using Instagram accounts including cindylicious11 and rapist_trying_to_avoid_justice to post false claims that Ogunkanmi had drugged, raped, and impregnated her and bribed officials to cover it up.
She posted his name and photo publicly, escalating the severity of the damage to his reputation and personal well-being.
Court Ruling and Legal Consequences
Deputy High Court Judge Susie Alegre found Chia’s actions to be “malicious” and responsible for serious reputational harm. In addition to the £25,000 damages, the court issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Chia from continuing her abusive conduct.
Judge Alegre cited Chia’s complete disregard for legal notices and lack of participation in court proceedings as further evidence of her intent to harm.
Additional Criminal Conviction
Chia had previously been convicted earlier this year of assaulting another woman associated with the case. She was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison and given a five-year restraining order.
Ogunkanmi expressed relief at the outcome but also criticized social media platforms for failing to curb the spread of false and damaging information. He explained how online abuse can persist unchecked, even after formal legal intervention.
