Woman Ordered to Pay £25,000 in Damages After Falsely Accusing Nigerian Man of Rape Following One-Night Stand
A woman who had a one-night stand with a Nigerian businessman she met in a London nightclub has been ordered to pay £25,000 in damages after launching a nearly decade-long campaign of harassment and falsely accusing him of rape.
Cynthia Chia was sued for harassment and defamation by Idowu Ogunkanmi, a 44-year-old energy trader based in Dubai. The High Court ruled in his favor after Chia refused to engage in the proceedings, resulting in a default judgment.
The court heard that Ogunkanmi met Chia in 2015 at the Steam Bar in the Hilton Hotel, Paddington. They spent the night together, but what followed was a "sustained, relentless and vindictive" campaign of harassment spanning nearly nine years. It included false allegations of rape, child abuse, bribery, and multiple threats, along with hundreds of harassing messages and social media posts.
Ogunkanmi said the false accusations traumatized him and severely damaged his reputation. “I met this person for less than 12 hours. That’s the scariest part,” he told the Daily Mail. “There were so many baseless accusations... she probably thought I had money and tried to extort me.”
Despite being cleared by police following a voluntary interview in 2017, the harassment continued. Between 2018 and 2022, Chia created several Instagram and Twitter accounts to post defamatory content, including calling Ogunkanmi a rapist and accusing him of bribing authorities to cover up evidence.
The court also heard that Chia repeatedly contacted Ogunkanmi’s workplace—sometimes making over 100 calls a day—and sent threats to his friends and family. She was previously convicted of common assault and handed a 10-week prison sentence along with a five-year restraining order.
Deputy High Court Judge Susie Alegre ruled that an injunction was necessary to protect Ogunkanmi’s reputation and private life. She added: “It is clear that such injunctive relief is a necessary and proportionate measure to put a stop to the ongoing attacks.”
Ogunkanmi welcomed the legal victory but said the compensation did not fully reflect the harm caused to his life and reputation.
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