A Nigerian court has summoned five social media users to appear for allegedly defaming gospel singer Mercy Chinwo and her husband, Blessed Uzochikwa. The summons, issued on April 3rd by Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, stems from a criminal defamation complaint filed by the couple’s lawyer, Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi.
The case centers around a social media post made by Chinwo and Uzochikwa celebrating the birth of their son. According to court documents, the post attracted a derogatory comment alleging a resemblance between the child and another gospel singer, Nathaniel Bassey.
The initial comment, attributed to Okoronkwo Ejike, further implied a hidden relationship between Chinwo and Bassey.
This initial post allegedly sparked a chain reaction. Kingsley Ibeh reportedly commented with a picture of Bassey, suggesting him as the “real father.”
Subsequently, social media users named Terrence Ekot and Samuel Agozie are accused of sharing and amplifying the defamatory claims on other platforms.
The court documents emphasize that Uzochikwa is the biological father of the child and vehemently deny any involvement of Nathaniel Bassey.
This is further corroborated by reports that Bassey himself petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the initial false accusations.
The five defendants, Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, DJ Spoiltkid (assumed to be a pseudonym for one of the defendants), Terrence Ekot, and Samuel Agozie, are expected to appear before the court on April 23rd, 2024, to address the charges of criminal defamation.
