A Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded 19-year-old blogger Nwanorue John Surpruchi over alleged defamatory social media posts targeting Tony Elumelu.
Gatekeepers News reports that the defendant was arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberstalking, bullying and defamation. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the prosecution, Surpruchi and others said to be at large allegedly published false claims on X, alleging that Elumelu divorced his wife after DNA tests reportedly showed that none of his seven children belonged to him. The police described the allegation as false and injurious to the reputation of the businessman and his family.
Prosecutors further told the court that the post gained significant traction online, attracting about 1.9 million views, more than 1,600 reposts and over 6,300 likes across social media platforms.
Following the defendant’s plea, prosecuting counsel A.G. Obi asked the court to remand him in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the hearing of his bail application, noting that the prosecution had only just received the application and needed time to respond.
The court subsequently ordered that the blogger be remanded while the case continues. The charges were filed under provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act and the Criminal Code relating to cyberstalking and dissemination of false information.
