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Learn Law WDr Maureen Eneh Ujah, Port Harcourt (2026)

21/08/2026

A High court in Kenya has awarded a Kenyan woman named Miriam Nduku Muindi the sum of Ksh 2.5 million which is the equivalent of $19,300 or N26.9 million in damages against Paul Mwandigha for unauthorized distribution of her intimate photos.
The court found that:
📌The unauthorized sharing of her private photos violated her constitutional rights to dignity and privacy protected under the Kenyan constitution.
Miriam told the court that the circulation of the photos caused significant harm to her marriage, reputation and social standing.

Damages
The sum of Ksh 500,000 was awarded as examplary damages against Paul after the court found that Paul's conduct was a deliberate and reckless attempt to cause harm to her family life and reputation.

Evidence
📌It was established in evidence that Paul had shown or shared the intimate photos with unauthorized third parties which included his parents and this allowed others access to the private material.
📌The photographs were taken during their private encounter and remained within his possession or control.

Judgement of court
✅As a result of the above evidence, Paul had a greater responsibility to safeguard the photos from unauthorized disclosure.
✅A person entrusted with intimate private material cannot avoid liability simply by claiming ignorance of how the images were leaked as Paul alleged in his defence.

Importance of the judgement
It shows a growing protection of privacy and dignity especially in cases involving unauthorized sharing of intimate images.

So, before you share someone's intimate photos, consider the legal effect of your actions, the above case and liability.

Know your rights and responsibilities

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

20/08/2026

Even lawyers and lecturers need to put the books aside sometimes! 😄📚✈️

After the lectures, cases, students, meetings and the endless demands of work, sometimes you simply need to pause, breathe and enjoy life. ❤️
Houston, Texas, here I come! 🇺🇸✨

This vacation is not just about travelling; it is about creating beautiful memories with my family members, exploring new places, appreciating the beauty of life and, most importantly, thanking God for the opportunity to see another day and experience another part of His wonderful world. 🙏🏽❤️

There is a time to work, a time to learn, a time to serve, and yes… a time to rest and enjoy yourself! 🥰
For now, the law books can wait a little, meaning: my posts may not be too regular 🤣 😄⚖️📚
Houston, I’m ready! 🇺🇸❤️

20/08/2026

If someone has secretly recorded your private conversation and published it online, do not immediately resort to threats or retaliation.

Consider these steps:

1. Preserve the evidence.
Take screenshots, save the URL, preserve the original post and, where possible, keep a copy of the recording as it appeared online.

2. Identify exactly what was published.
Was it the entire conversation, an edited portion, or something taken completely out of context?

3. Consider your privacy and data protection rights.
Depending on the circumstances, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 may be relevant to the collection, use and disclosure of information concerning you.

4. Consider whether the publication has caused other legal harm.
Depending on what was published and the circumstances, issues such as defamation, breach of confidence, harassment or other civil or criminal liability may arise.

5. Seek legal advice before taking action.
The correct remedy will depend heavily on the facts. A lawyer can examine how the recording was obtained, what was published, why it was published and the harm caused.

THE BIG LESSON IS: "Secretly recorded” does not automatically mean “illegal.”
And:
“I have the recording” does not automatically mean “I can publish it.”

Recording, possessing, using, admitting in evidence and publishing a recording are different legal questions.

The law may treat each of those acts differently depending on the circumstances.

So before you secretly record someone or publish a recording of someone,pause and ask:

What exactly does the law permit me to do with this recording?

That is where the real legal issue begins.

What do you think?

If someone secretly records your private conversation and posts it online, should that person be liable simply because they published it without your permission?

👇 Drop your opinion in the comments.

Remember: Knowledge is power, and ignorance of the law is no excuse. Stay informed and know what the law says.

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the Law Closer to You.

18/08/2026

SERIES 5: WHAT IF THE PERSON SAYS, “I RECORDED IT TO PROTECT MYSELF”? CAN IT BE USED IN COURT?

That can change the legal analysis.

For example, a person may record a conversation because they are being threatened, harassed, defrauded or pressured, and they want to preserve evidence.

The purpose for which the recording was made can be extremely important.

But there is still a difference between:

📌recording something for legitimate protection or evidential purposes
and
📌broadcasting someone's private conversation to thousands of people on social media.

Those are not necessarily the same legal act.

This also leads to another common misconception:

People sometimes say:

“It was secretly recorded, so the recording cannot be used in court.”

That is not necessarily correct.

The fact that a recording was made secretly does not, by itself, automatically determine whether it can or cannot be admitted in evidence.

The court may have to consider the circumstances in which the recording was made, how it was obtained, its relevance to the case, its authenticity and the applicable rules of evidence.

So, a secretly obtained recording may raise questions about privacy, legality and the manner in which it was obtained, but that is different from saying that it is automatically inadmissible.

This brings to end our discussion on sharing secretly recorded private conversation online. We shall discuss next what you can do when someone secretly records your discussions.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Know your rights because they are good for your protection.

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

18/08/2026

SERIES 4: DOES POSTING IT ONLINE MAKE IT AUTOMATICALLY LEGAL?

Absolutely not!

The fact that somebody possesses a recording does not automatically give that person an unrestricted right to publish it online.

The circumstances surrounding the recording, the purpose for which it was obtained, the nature of the information, the expectation of privacy and the reason for publication may all become relevant.

Now, let's imagine this scenario:

Cherish is a married woman who has been accused by her husband John of having extra marital affairs with one man named Nick. She confided in her best friend Tina admitting to that extra marital affairs allegation. But unknown to Cherish, Tina secretly recorded the conversation.

The next day, Tina uploaded the recording to Facebook and tagged Cherish.

Thousands of people listened to it.

Cherish never consented to the publication.

Can Cherish simply say, “You recorded me without my permission, therefore you have committed an offence”?

Not necessarily.

But Cherish may have legitimate grounds to challenge the recording, its use or its publication, depending on the circumstances.

I hope you have learnt a lot at this stage? Join me as we conclude in series 5

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

17/08/2026

SERIES 3: WHAT DID THE PERSON DO WITH THE RECORDING?

This is where things become particularly interesting 👍

Let's consider this scenario: Ngozi secretly records a private conversation between her and Jennifer.

Instead of keeping it privately, she posts the recording on Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp or another platform.

The question then becomes:

Was there a lawful basis for recording, using and disclosing that personal information?

The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 regulates the processing of personal data.

“Processing” is broad enough to include activities such as recording, using, disclosing, disseminating or otherwise making personal data available.

The Act requires personal data to be processed fairly, lawfully and transparently and for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.

And importantly, consent is NOT the only possible lawful basis for processing.

There are other lawful grounds recognised by the Act, including legitimate interests, legal obligations, vital interests and public interest, subject to the requirements of the law.

Hope you are following? Two series left to go: 4 and 5

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

17/08/2026

SERIES 2: WHO MADE THE RECORDING?

There is an important distinction between:

👉 a person secretly recording a conversation in which they are themselves participating;
and
👉 a person secretly intercepting or recording a communication between other people.

The circumstances surrounding the recording matter.

So, don't assume that every secret recording automatically amounts to a criminal offence.

Hope you are following?

Know your rights because ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

16/08/2026

Someone secretly recorded your private conversation and posted it online. Is it legal?

The post generated an incredible response, so let us now look more closely at what the law says.

The answer is NOT simply “yes” or “no.”

There are several legal questions to ask, which we can properly understand in five key series:

🔴 SERIES 1: WAS THE CONVERSATION PRIVATE?

Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution protects the privacy of citizens, homes, correspondence and telephone conversations.

So, if you were having what was reasonably a private conversation and someone secretly recorded it, the issue of your constitutional right to privacy may arise.

But context matters.

A conversation in a public place is not necessarily treated in the same way as a private conversation in your home or a private telephone call.

We shall look at Series 2-5 tomorrow.

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the law closer to you

16/08/2026

2.9K people saw my last post asking: Someone secretly recorded your private conversation and posted it online. Is that legal? Today, let's go deeper into what the law actually says. It shall come in 5 series for ease of reference and better elucidation let's go. See you in the next post titled Series 1 on what the law says about secret recording and shares online

14/08/2026

Let's look at this scenario:
Imagine having a private conversation with someone, only to discover later that the person secretly recorded you and posted the conversation on Facebook, WhatsApp or TikTok.

Can they legally do that without your permission?

The answer is not always a simple yes or no.

The circumstances matter.

Nigeria's Constitution protects the privacy of citizens, including their correspondence and telephone conversations. There may also be data-protection implications depending on how the recording was obtained, used and disclosed.

But here's the important question:

Does the fact that someone recorded a conversation give them the right to publish it online for everyone to see?

Not necessarily.

If someone secretly recorded and published your private conversation without your consent, what would you do?

Would you ignore it, demand that it be taken down, or take legal action?

👇 Let's hear from you in the comments.

This post is for general legal education and does not constitute legal advice. Tomorrow we shall look more in-depth on what the law says.

Remember: Knowledge is power, and ignorance of the law is no excuse. Stay informed and know what the law says.

Dr. Maureen Ujah
Bringing the Law Closer to You.

Learn Law WDr Maureen Eneh Ujah

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