A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and his 2019 presidential campaign director, Bukola Saraki, to pay N5 million damages to a Lagos trader, Amuda Adeleke, for unauthorised use of her photograph on their campaign billboard.
Justice Ayokunle Faji gave the ruling on Monday. He said the money would be jointly paid by Atiku, Saraki, the Peoples Democratic Party and Atiku’s running mate at the poll, Peter Obi.
Adeleke had in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/19, prayed the court to award N45 million against the defendants for infringing on her fundamental right to privacy.
The trader said the defendants used her photograph on their campaign billboard without her consent, causing her embarrassment.
She said in the suit that Saraki led members of Atiku’s campaign organisation in December 2018 to Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos to campaign for Atiku and Obi.
Adeleke said Saraki and his team engaged people on the street, including herself.
She added that although she saw members of the campaign train taking photographs during the engagement, she thought it was for documentation.
The trader said she was shocked when she began to receive phone calls from those who knew her, calling her attention to her photograph on the PDP campaign billboards in Lagos, Abuja and elsewhere.
“All my friends who saw the campaign billboard said it portrayed me as a woman stricken with poverty who had lost all hope and was prepared to commit suicide,” she said.
