Josephina Otabor, the reality TV star better known as Phyna, has threatened legal action against streamer Carter Efe over alleged defamatory remarks.
In a pre-action letter dated July 30 and signed by Segun Ojienoh of Eko Solicitors & Advocates, Phyna accused Carter Efe, whose real name is Joseph Oderhohwo Efe, of making false statements during a livestream on July 25.
According to the letter, Phyna claimed Efe repeatedly claimed, “You slept with me,” during a broadcast on Twitch and X.
Phyna’s lawyers argued that the statement portrayed the former Big Brother Naija winner as someone who engages in sexual relationships to secure appearances on livestreams, adding that the allegation had subjected her to public ridicule and damaged her reputation.
“As you coldly calculated, the sinister statement has since been rebroadcast on numerous platforms and by handles which are legion, thereby escalating the untoward damage already visited on Phyna,” the letter reads in part.
“The above defamatory words which you uttered were packed with innuendos suggesting that Phyna will sleep with anyone with a significant online following in order to get featured on livestreams, especially when the statement is rationalised alongside the sentences uttered in the sequence following the defamatory words.”
The letter demanded that the content creator retract the statement within seven days of receiving the letter, publish an undertaking not to make similar remarks in the future, and issue the retraction through the same livestream platforms where the statement was made.
The lawyers indicated that Phyna is not seeking monetary compensation at this stage.
“Consequently, PHYNA NOW DEMANDS THE FOLLOWING,” it added.
“1. that you retract this statement within 7 days of your receipt of this letter in a contrite manner.
“2. that you publish an undertaking that you will not assassinate her character again.
“3. that your retraction be via a livestream on the same channels that you used to mutilate her character.
“4. She graciously demands nothing more – she chooses to set the value of monetary damages demanded at N0.00 (Zero Naira, Zero Kobo) at this stage.”
The lawyers warned that if Carter Efe fails to comply with the demands, she will institute legal proceedings and seek not less than N500 million in general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the alleged harm to her reputation.
“If you do not meet any – or all – of the above demands, TAKE NOTICE THAT, without prejudice to other rights, reliefs and remedies available to her, Phyna will be seeking legal redress against you by claiming a sum not less than a sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) only as general, exemplary and aggravated damages, for the malicious damage you did to Phyna’s character,” it added.
Efe had yet to publicly respond to the pre-action letter as of the time of filing this report.