As Bakery Files N50 Million Defamation Suit
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A TikTok content creator known as “Love” a 53-year-old store owner whose real name is reportedly Love Dooshimaa has been invited to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters for questioning over allegations of cyberstalking, fraud, and mischief, after she posted a viral video raising concerns about a loaf of bread she said remained fresh, soft, and free of mould or bad odour for approximately two months after purchase.
The development, which has triggered widespread public debate about consumer rights, corporate power, and the use of police and legal machinery to silence citizens who raise food safety concerns, came to light on Sunday when social media influencer Lucky Udu shared a screenshot of the creator’s TikTok direct message confirming the police invitation, alongside a video commenting on the matter on Instagram.
The bakery brand Bon Bread, founded by Maria Abdulkadir (also known as Maria Umeagwukadilo), has identified itself as the target of the video, filed a N50 million defamation lawsuit against the creator, and reportedly made the complaint that led to the police invitation — despite the fact that the original video did not name any specific brand or show the bread’s packaging or logo.
The controversy began when Love posted a video on TikTok showing a loaf of bread from her shop that she claimed had remained fresh for approximately two months. In the video, she expressed concern about possible excessive preservatives or food safety issues, referencing Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Really Care About Us” as commentary on corporate indifference to consumer safety.
The video did not identify any specific bakery brand. No packaging, logo, or brand name was visible in the clip. The creator presented it as a general observation from her experience as a shop owner a consumer raising a question about a product she found unusual.
Nevertheless, the video quickly gained traction online, triggering widespread debate among social media users over food safety standards, the use of preservatives in Nigerian baked goods, and corporate accountability in the food industry.
Despite not being named in the video, Bon Bread identified itself as the brand being discussed largely because comments on the video linked the bread to the company’s products.
The company’s founder, Maria Abdulkadir, said the brand attempted to reach the creator for clarification and to test the bread together.
“I made a call to her because I wanted to understand where she got the bread from and how it could have lasted two months, as she claimed,” Abdulkadir stated.
She said the situation escalated after attempts at engagement were unsuccessful, while noting that public reactions in the comment section further linked the claim to her brand and caused reputational damage and significant sales losses.
Abdulkadir stressed that Bon Bread products are freshly baked based on daily orders, comply with NAFDAC and Standards Organisation of Nigeria requirements, and do not contain the kind of preservatives that would allow bread to last for two months.
“We believe in freedom of speech and respect everyone’s right to express opinions. However, we stand firmly behind the safety and quality of our product,” Abdulkadir stated.
The company subsequently filed a N50 million defamation lawsuit against the creator and reportedly made a complaint to the Nigeria Police Force — the complaint that led to the police invitation.
The creator confirmed receiving the police summons in a TikTok direct message to influencer Lucky Udu.
“Hello good evening my brother. I saw the video you made and how many followers you pulled for me. As at this moment I have received an invitation to Police HQ to come for an interview because I have been reported for cyberstalking, fraud, mischief and so on,” Love wrote.
The allegations cyberstalking, fraud, and mischief are criminal charges that, if pursued, could result in prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015 and other relevant laws.
Udu said he had advised the creator to maintain communication with him as public interest in the case grew.
“I have told this lady to keep in touch with me because a lot of Nigerians want to see how it goes,” Udu stated.
As of the time of this report, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official statement confirming or clarifying the reported invitation.
The most contentious aspect of the case is the fact that the creator did not name any specific bakery brand in her original video.
Love later posted a clarification video reiterating that her post was a general observation from her store and not a direct attack on any company. She maintained she was simply raising a consumer concern about a product she found unusual.
If the video did not identify Bon Bread by name, did not show the brand’s packaging or logo, and was presented as a general consumer observation, the legal and ethical basis for deploying both a N50 million lawsuit and a police complaint against the creator becomes a subject of intense debate.
Defamation law in Nigeria generally requires that the allegedly defamatory statement identify or be reasonably understood to refer to the complainant. If the only connection between the video and Bon Bread came from public comments made by third parties on the video rather than from the creator herself the question of whether the creator “identified” or “targeted” the brand becomes a matter for judicial determination.
The case has ignited a broader debate about consumer rights in Nigeria and the power imbalance between corporations and ordinary citizens who raise concerns about products.
Many Nigerians have expressed alarm at the deployment of police and legal machinery against a citizen who raised what they view as a legitimate food safety question. The use of criminal allegations cyberstalking, fraud, and mischief against a consumer who posted a video about bread has been described by some commentators as an attempt to intimidate and silence consumer advocacy.
“If a woman cannot post a video asking why bread lasted two months without being dragged to Police HQ, then consumer protection in Nigeria is dead,” one social media user wrote.
Others have questioned the practical logistics of the claim itself how a loaf of bread could sit unsold in a shop for two months — while calling for independent testing of the bread or broader NAFDAC scrutiny of preservatives in Nigerian baked goods.
Some commentators have defended Bon Bread’s right to protect its reputation, arguing that if the video caused provable reputational or financial harm, the company is entitled to seek legal redress through the courts though even among these voices, there is scepticism about the use of criminal police complaints in what appears to be a civil dispute over defamation.
The case sits at the intersection of several areas of Nigerian law.
Freedom of expression under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution protects the right of citizens to express opinions including opinions about products and services. However, this right is not absolute and is subject to laws on defamation, fraud, and cybercrime.
The Cybercrimes Act 2015, under which the cyberstalking allegation appears to fall, criminalises online conduct that is threatening, harassing, or intended to cause harm. Critics have argued that the Act’s cyberstalking provisions are frequently misused to criminalise legitimate speech, opinion, and journalism.
Defamation law permits individuals and companies to seek damages for false statements that damage their reputation. However, the complainant must typically prove that the statement identified them and that the statement was false and made with malicious intent or negligence.
Consumer protection law, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, protects consumers’ right to information and to raise concerns about products. A consumer raising genuine concerns about food safety arguably falls within the protection of this framework.
The N50 million lawsuit will test these competing principles in court. The police invitation if it proceeds to formal investigation or prosecution would represent the criminalisation of what many view as a consumer complaint, raising significant free speech and consumer rights concerns.
The matter is currently at the police invitation stage not an arrest. Love has been invited for an “interview” at the Force Headquarters, and it remains to be seen whether the police will proceed with a formal investigation, recommend prosecution, or determine that the matter is a civil dispute that does not warrant criminal intervention.
The N50 million civil defamation suit will proceed on its own track, with the courts eventually determining whether the video constituted defamation of Bon Bread despite not naming the brand.
Consumer advocates and legal practitioners are watching the case closely, as its outcome could set a precedent for how Nigerian law treats consumers who raise food safety concerns on social media and whether corporations can effectively criminalise consumer advocacy through police complaints and defamation suits.
For Love a 53-year-old shop owner who posted a video about bread the case has transformed an everyday consumer observation into a legal and police ordeal that now involves a N50 million lawsuit, criminal allegations, and a summons to Police Headquarters.
The question many Nigerians are asking is simple: if this is what happens when you question why bread lasted two months, what happens to consumer protection in a country where citizens are already afraid to speak?
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