5 People Receive Court Invite On Defamatory Statements Around Mercy Chinwo's Baby.

 Pastor Blessed Uzochikwa, the husband of well-known musician Mercy Chinwo, has filed a direct criminal complaint for criminal defamation against five people through his representatives, who are led by Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq.

As a result, five social media users have been called by a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, for the "criminal defamation" of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo and her husband, Blessed Uzochikwa.

According to Mercy Chinwo's partner, intentional dissemination of harmful false information, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking were used in the alleged criminal defamation offenses.

The court date for the five defendants—Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, DJ Spoiltkid, Terrence Ekot, and Samuel Agozie—is April 23, 2024.

On April 1, 2024, Nathaniel Bassey's attorneys filed the suit, claiming that four social media users—Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, Terrence Ekot, and Dj Spoiltkid—had engaged in criminal defamation and cyberstalking against Bassey. The four social media users claimed last week on the X platform (previously Twitter) that Bassey is the father of Mercy Chinwo's kid because the singer's newborn son resembles him.

Bassey's counsel highlighted the seriousness of the implication, claiming that such unfounded charges have wider ramifications on both a personal and professional level in addition to damaging his reputation.

The petition: “Our client is a gospel music minister whose songs and ministrations have impacted the lives of so many from different walks of life across the globe.

“On Friday, the 29th day of March 2024, Mercy Chinwo Blessed, another popular gospel music minister, and her husband posted pictures of their son and themselves on different social media platforms.

“However, our client was disheartened, saddened, and grossly disturbed to find that the above-mentioned suspects, as mischief makers with a criminal intent to destroy the image and character of our client, had made different social media posts of defamatory matter, calling our client ‘the father of minister Mercy Chinwo Blessed’s son,’ a woman who is married to another man.

“The post by Mr. Okoronkwo Ejike has since gone viral on the platform. In reaction to the post, Mr. Kingsley Ibeh commented on Mr. Okoronkwo’s post with a picture of our client with the caption ‘The real father of the baby.

“In a post on the platform “X” formerly known as Twitter, “Dj SpoiltKid” a verified X user, quoted the statement by Okoronkwo Ejike along with a screenshot of the post and added, ‘When are we doing a DNA test?’

“In another post, Mr. Terrence Ekot, on the platform “X” made a post thus: ‘Take a look at the stunning resemblance of Mercy Chinwo’s son and Nathaniel Bassey. Though the duo has been working together on several projects in the past... what do you have to say?”

The attorneys claimed that in addition to violating Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, the acts also breached Sections 373 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act. They contended that the four people's social media posts amounted to character assassination.

Continuation of the petition reads: “The consequences of making such statements on social media have been known to tarnish the reputations of individuals, render marriages unstable, and many never recover from them. International reputation is an asset—both for the individual and for the nation—and it takes time to acquire.

“Consequently, we urge you to use your good offices to, in the interest of justice, investigate this matter, arrest, and bring the suspect to justice, which will serve as a deterrent to others.”