A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja has requested the presence of five social media users for “criminal defamation” of the character of Nigerian gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo, and her husband, Blessed Uzochikwa.
In the summons dated April 3, 2024, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, sitting in Wuse Zone 6, instructed the five respondents to appear before the court on April 23, 2023, to answer the charges levelled against the plaintiff.
The slanderous action was a sequel to posts made by the defendants the past week after Mercy Chinwo and her husband, Blessed, released a picture of their son on Instagram.
After the picture of the baby, who was born in 2023, was posted, the respondent alleged that there was a resemblance between the baby and Nigerian gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey, claiming that he was the father, an accusation that went viral.
In a criminal complaint filed by the plaintiff's lawyers, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Abuja-based law firm Law Corridor, Mercy Chinwo and her husband said the alleged actions of the respondent amounted to cyberbullying, false statements, and cyberstalking targeted at their persons.
The plaintiff affirmed that the alleged actions of the respondent are contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.
Nathaniel Bassey has also taken action over the matter. The gospel songwriter, otherwise known for his song "Jesus Iye," had, through his legal representative, requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate and arraign four persons whom he accused of character assassination and cyberstalking. The four social media users in Bassey’s petition are Kingsley Ibeh, Okoronkwo Ejike, Dj Spoiltkid, and Terrence Ekot.
