UK Court Orders Nigerian Woman to Pay £25,000 for False R#pe Accusation

• UK High Court orders Nigerian Cynthia Chia to pay £25,000 in damages to Dubai-based businessman Idowu Ogunkanmi for falsely accusing him of rape and waging a nine-year harassment campaign.

• The court ruled that Chia, who met Ogunkanmi in 2015, fabricated a rape claim and continued spreading false information about him on social media for nearly a decade.

• Chia, despite police warnings and arrest, allegedly accused Ogunkanmi of drugging, raping, impregnating, molesting her child, and bribing authorities, but none of her claims were proven true.

A UK High Court has ordered a Nigerian woman, Cynthia Chia, to pay £25,000 in damages to Dubai-based businessman Idowu Ogunkanmi, after finding her guilty of fabricating a rape accusation and conducting a nearly decade-long campaign of online harassment.

The court determined that Chia, who met Ogunkanmi in 2015 during a one-night encounter at the Hilton Hotel in Paddington, falsely accused him of rape and continuously harassed him via social media for nine years. Despite police warnings, arrests, and court orders, she persisted in spreading malicious allegations.

According to court documents, Chia used multiple Instagram and Twitter accounts to falsely claim that Ogunkanmi had drugged, raped, and impregnated her, molested her child, and bribed authorities to cover up the supposed crimes. All allegations were dismissed as baseless and untrue.

Ogunkanmi, a Nigerian-born energy trader and father of three, said he initially gave Chia £250, believing she needed help with a phone bill. But when he declined further financial support, she allegedly threatened to ruin his life.

“She tried to extort me. When I didn’t comply, she launched a social media campaign full of lies,” he told the court.

The businessman had originally sought £120,000 in damages. Although the court awarded him a reduced amount of £25,000, Judge Susie Alegre condemned Chia’s actions as “malicious” and “completely false,” and also issued a permanent injunction against her to prevent future harassment.

In a related incident, Chia had also been convicted of assaulting a mutual friend who introduced her to Ogunkanmi. She served 10 weeks in jail and received a five-year restraining order.

Reacting to the ruling, Ogunkanmi said he was relieved and urged social media platforms to take quicker action against online abuse.

“False accusations can destroy lives. I hope this judgment sends a clear message,” he said.