Hookup Turns Legal Horror: Woman Ordered to Pay £25,000 for False Rape Claim Against Nigerian Businessman

 After a startling nine-year campaign of harassment and false claims, a British court has ordered Cynthia Chia to pay £25,000 in damages to Dubai-based energy trader Idowu Ogunkanmi, capping a high-stakes legal battle that started with a brief encounter in a London nightclub.

The vile story started in 2015 when Ms. Chia and Ogunkanmi met at the Steam Bar in the Hilton Hotel in Paddington while Ogunkanmi was in the UK on business. Ogunkanmi went back to Dubai after a night of partying and a quick sexual experience, figuring the moment was only temporary.

                   From One Night to a Decade of Torment

Ms. Chia then launched an unrelenting campaign of harassment and defamation, accusing Ogunkanmi of everything from rape and abuse to paying law enforcement and medical personnel. She even went so far as to claim that he had abused her child, although she had no proof.

Even when Ogunkanmi severed connections, Ms. Chia continued. She allegedly called his office up to 100 times a day over the years, made several social media accounts with derogatory handles like rapist_trying_to_avoid_justice, and shared his picture online along with charges of horrible crimes. On December 31, 2021, she wrote on Instagram that he had "drugged, r@ped, and impregnated" her.

In addition, she made up allegations that he committed crimes against children and colluded with law enforcement and medical experts to obliterate evidence.

                                

A Traumatized Father and a Long-Awaited Win

 peaking following the court decision, the forty-four-year-old father of three stated:

The frightening thing is that I spent less than 12 hours with this person. I pray for her because it takes a lot of persistence to stick to a falsehood for so long.

He spoke of years of terror, emotional anguish, and harm to his reputation, especially when he had to return to the UK in 2017 to fight the r@pe accusation, only to be exonerated by the police when there was no proof to back up her allegations.

She was likely trying to extort me since she believed I had a lot of money. "She started this hateful Instagram campaign because I refused to be extorted," he stated.

                           

Court Delivers Justice in Absence of Defendant

Ms. Chia had no legal counsel, did not show up for any hearings, and refused to interact with the court despite numerous summonses. Judge Susie Alegre of the Deputy High Court consequently decided in Ogunkanmi's favor by default, giving him £25,000 in damages for both harassment and defamation.

As a "necessary and proportionate measure" to safeguard Ogunkanmi's privacy and reputation, the judge also granted injunctive relief and issued a restraining order to stop the ongoing internet abuse.

The burden of civil justice now falls on Ms. Chia, who was found guilty of common assault earlier this year and given a 10-week prison sentence along with a five-year restraining order.

                            

Digital Defamation and the Real-World Toll

This case highlights the devastating effects of false accusations and the real-world impacts of digital defamation. Ogunkanmi saw the £25,000 compensation as vindication, even though it may not have restored nearly ten years of peace lost, as the harm extended beyond social media smears and into his personal and professional life, threatening his livelihood and eroding his mental health.

"I am relieved, but the damages don't adequately convey the extent of the harm and trauma."

This decision sends a strong message in the era of screenshots and smear campaigns: Online harassment has repercussions, and justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.