Lagos, Nigeria – A blogger identified as Stanley is set to face prosecution for allegedly defaming businessman Mr Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, in an online video, according to Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
Hundeyin made the announcement on Monday while parading the suspect before journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.
The police spokesperson revealed that the command received a petition from E-Money concerning the offensive video. A crack squad of the command conducted an investigation and subsequently arrested the 24-year-old suspect in Uromi, Edo State.
“He is going to be prosecuted because the things he engaged in were criminal in nature. He has allegedly defamed E-Money and he is going to be prosecuted,” said Hundeyin.
“We are not prosecuting the suspect because of the personality involved, but because he has allegedly committed a crime. The personality goes through the normal channel by reporting the case to the police and we investigated and arrested the suspect.
“If one is defamed and you only talk about it on social media, you have not reported the case yet to the Police, it doesn’t work that way. The best thing to do is report at any police division, area command or police headquarters, we will take it up,” he added.
Hundeyin cautioned social media users against causing harm to others with their content, emphasizing that action may be taken against them if reports of their content are found offensive by anyone.
He stressed that every action has consequences and warned that false information spread to the public could lead to prosecution if reported by a willing complainant.
Speaking to reporters at the parade, the suspect admitted to making the video to boost his page’s followership level. He confessed that the statements made about E-Money in the video were untrue.
“I did a video about E-Money. I said a lot of things that are not true in that video, that is why the police arrested me.
“I said something regarding a video I saw online about a woman – saying that Sir E-Money is responsible for the things that happened to Nollywood actor John Odonwodo, aka Junior Pope’s case.
“I said something like that, I also said that Sir E-Money was also having an affair with Junior Pope’s wife. I have never in my life met E-Money. Everything I made in that video was not true.
“I made the video out of trying to boost my page traffic level, I never knew it will go viral the way it went. I don’t have a bad intention to tarnish Sir E-Money’s name. I was just making the video, I didn’t know it will go such wide.
“I know the contents of the video were wrong of me to have made. I don’t know the video will escalate to that extent,” he stated.
