The magistrate court in Abuja has summoned five social media users following a complaint filed by Blessed Uzochikwa, the husband of Mercy Chinwo, the Nigerian gospel singer.
In the notice filed through his lawyers and addressed to the chief magistrate on Wednesday, Uzochikwa accused the users of defamation.
The accused persons were identified as Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, DJ Spoiltkid, Terrence Ekot and Samuel Agozie.
The social media users had alleged that Nathaniel Bassey, the gospel singer, fathered Mercy Chinwo’s son.
Uzochikwa’s lawyers said the defendants “exhibited injurious falsehood, cyber intimidation and stalking” against the couple.
They argued that the online publications “implied that Uzochikwa is impotent and that his beloved wife is an infidel and an adulterer”.
The lawyers prayed the court to issue a summon requiring the presence of the defendants for thorough investigation and prosecution.
“On the 29th day of March, 2024, the complainant and his legally married wife; minister Mercy Chinwo, posted the picture of their lovely son on their Facebook page in the spirit of celebrating the goodness of God to their family for the gift of a child,” the letter reads.
“Immediately the said post was made on Facebook, one of their followers drew the attention of the complainant to a post made by the 1st Defendant in reaction to the couple’s post.
“The post reads thus: This is the true face of Mercy Chinwo’s child and she was hiding after giving birth. But the truth is that this little baby looks exactly like Singer Nathaniel Bassey.
“Nothing anybody wan reason me oh, this child is Nathaniel Bassey’s baby, just maybe there was a secret away match that occurred otherwise how can we make empirical sense of this?
“This said post has sparked up unruly and demeaning reaction from several users online leading to further defamatory comment by the 2nd Defendant who also commented on the post of the 1st Defendant with the picture of Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, a renowned pastor and gospel artiste, with the caption “The real father of the baby.
“Drawing from the 1st Defendant’s post, the 3rd Defendant quoted with a screenshot of same, on Twitter (now known as X) posted: “When are we doing DNA test?”
“The 4th Defendant on the same X platform posted: Take a look at the stunning resemblance of Mercy Chinwo’s son and Nathaniel Bassey. The duo has been working together on several projects in the past… what do you have to say?
“Your Worship, these post and publication by the defendants is injurious and carefully calculated with intention to maliciously reduce the estimation of the complainant and his entire family in the eye of the right-thinking members of the society.
“This publication has only implied that the complainant who is a man of God, a husband and a father is impotent while equally imputing that his beloved wife is an infidel and an adulterer and has committed same with Nathaniel Bassey given the resemblance as captured.”
Bassey earlier petitioned the police to arrest and bring the suspects to justice.
The five defendants are expected to appear before the Abuja magistrate court on April 23.
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