Reporting by ThisDay (via AllAfrica) indicates a landmark shift in the Nigerian legal system as an Ikeja High Court has officially recognized social media platforms as valid channels for the service of court documents. Justice Akintunde Savage granted leave for high-profile influencers, including “VeryDarkMan” and Kelvin Emmanuel, to be served legal papers via WhatsApp and Instagram in a defamation suit.
This ruling addresses the long-standing challenge of “unknown physical addresses” for digital creators and public figures who operate primarily online. The court emphasized that as society evolves technologically, the law must adapt to ensure that individuals cannot evade justice by simply not having a traditional office or home address on file.
Legal experts believe this sets a powerful precedent for future litigation involving the “digital-first” generation. It ensures that the bailiff’s inability to find a defendant physically no longer stalls legal proceedings, provided there is proof that the defendant is active on their verified social media accounts.
Validation from Daily Post and The Nation confirms the significance of the case. Daily Post noted that “legal practitioners are hailing the move as a ‘digital revolution’ for the judiciary,” while The Nation reported that “the court ordered the bailiff to provide screenshots of the ‘sent’ or ‘delivered’ status as proof of service.”
Echotitbits take: This is the end of “hiding” for social media trolls and influencers. If you can post a video, you can be served a lawsuit. Watch for this to drastically speed up defamation cases and civil litigation involving the Nigerian diaspora and digital nomads.
Source: The Punch – https://punchng.com/federal-ministry-of-justice-adopts-digital-system-to-boost-efficiency/, February 10, 2026
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