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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Sowore Slams Nigerian Police Over Arrests of Bloggers Reporting Elumelu Divorce Rumors

From The Punch · (5m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Nigerian activist Omoyele Sowore criticized the police for arresting three bloggers over reports about Tony Elumelu's alleged divorce.
  • Sowore argued that reporting on a public figure's marital status is not a criminal offense and falls under civil law.
  • The arrest followed a statement from UBA, chaired by Elumelu, dismissing the divorce rumors as false and defamatory.

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has strongly condemned the Nigeria Police Force's recent arrests of three bloggers over their reporting on alleged divorce proceedings involving Tony Elumelu, the prominent Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). Sowore asserts that the police action is an overreach and a violation of fundamental press freedom, arguing that reporting on the marital status of a public figure, even if inaccurate, does not constitute a criminal offense warranting detention.

We must continue to remind the Nigerian Nigeria Police Force… that it is not a criminal offense warranting arrest or detention for bloggers to report that @TonyOElumelu, Chairman of @UBAGroup, has reportedly divorced his wife.

— Omoyele SoworeCriticizing the police for arresting bloggers over divorce rumors.

Sowore's stance highlights a critical debate in Nigeria surrounding the boundaries of free speech, defamation laws, and the role of law enforcement in disputes involving online publications. He emphasized in a Facebook post that such matters, at most, should be treated as civil disputes, not criminal ones that justify police intervention and repression. The individuals arrested – Kingsley Akunemeihe, Chigozie Success Ihebom, and John Surpruchi Nwanorue – were reportedly linked to the creation and dissemination of the viral claims.

At most, such a matter falls within the realm of civil law and does not justify police action or repression.

— Omoyele SoworeArguing that the issue should be treated as a civil matter.

This situation arose after UBA issued a statement vehemently denying the rumors, labeling them as 'fabricated, reckless, and malicious' attempts to damage Elumelu's reputation. The bank confirmed that law enforcement had been notified and that arrests had been made. However, Sowore's intervention serves as a powerful reminder that while public figures deserve protection from malicious falsehoods, the methods employed must not stifle legitimate journalism or intimidate bloggers and journalists who are simply reporting on matters of public interest. The Nigerian press, while vibrant, often navigates a complex landscape where powerful individuals and institutions can exert pressure, making Sowore's defense of the arrested bloggers a significant intervention in the ongoing struggle for press freedom.

The @PoliceNG must therefore immediately release Kingsley Akunemeihe (@Directorkem), Chigozie Success Ihebom, and John Surpruchi Nwanorue (@problemchimky).

— Omoyele SoworeDemanding the release of the arrested bloggers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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