The police spokesperson in Lagos state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said a blogger identified as Stanley, will be prosecuted for allegedly defaming a businessman, Emeka Okonkwo, widely known as E-money, in his online video.
Mr Hundeyin disclosed this on Monday while parading the suspect before journalists at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja.
The image maker said that the command received a petition from E-money about the offensive video, stressing that a crack squad of the command, who swung into action for investigation, arrested the 24-year-old suspect at Uromi in Edo.
“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.
“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 investigate and arrest the suspect.
“If one is defamed and you only talk about it in the 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 said.
Mr Hundeyin warned social media users against content injurious to others, stressing that action may be taken against them if reports of their content were found offensive by anyone.
He noted that every action has consequences, stressing that the moment false information goes out to the public, a report from a willing complainant, ready to prosecute the offender, the police will bring such fellow to justice.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the parade, the suspect admitted making the said video to boost his page followership level.
He also said that everything he said concerning E-money in the video was not true.
“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 bad intention to spoiled 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 didn’t know the video would escalate to that extent,” he said.
The suspect further said that he made the video with a view to be popular while expecting to have the opportunity to see E-money one-on-one, noting that he didn’t know it would escalate wrongly.
He claimed he never really thought of the implication while making the video, stressing that he only knew the impact of the video through various calls to him condemning him for such a video.
“ I saw that the video was already going viral, I thought pulling it down will not make sense, I decided to leave it. I have not reach E-Money to apologise, because I don’t have his contact to do so.
“I was already planning to make an apology video, that was when I was arrested by the police.
“I have been praying to have this opportunity to apologise to him. I am very sorry, Sir E-money. I didn’t mean to tarnish his image or spoil his name online.
“Everything I said in that video was false. I am using this medium to say Sir E-money, I need your forgiveness, I will never in my life do such a mistake again,” the suspect said.
NAN