May Edochie, the estranged wife of Nollywood actor Yul Edochie, has demanded ₦1 billion in damages from her former lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye, accusing him of defamation, cyberbullying, and breach of trust.
In a cease-and-desist letter issued through her legal representatives, Graylaw Partners, May alleged that Ugwuonye has been posting false and damaging claims about her across his social media platforms. She described his actions as a calculated assault on her reputation and personal safety.
According to the letter, Ugwuonye’s posts “have been made in a tone and manner that transcend mere defamation, constituting ridicule, unwarranted and harmful behaviour, and malicious threats, while also spreading demonstrably false allegations.”
May further alleged that Ugwuonye created and operates multiple online platforms, including a WhatsApp group, designed specifically to tarnish her image. She accused him of unlawfully sharing her privileged information on those platforms in exchange for payment.
The letter also revealed that Ugwuonye had once presented himself as a legal practitioner to her despite lacking the legal standing to do so.
“By so doing, you deceitfully exploited our client’s unawareness, held yourself out in a fraudulent manner, and are now making illegitimate profit from her privileged information in addition to your defamatory publications,” the letter read.
May noted that Ugwuonye’s posts have emboldened third parties to amplify the defamatory narratives, compounding the harm done to her reputation.
Her demands include the immediate withdrawal of all defamatory posts, a public apology and retraction across all his platforms, and the payment of ₦1 billion in damages.
