It is often said that celebrities are humans and their feelings can be hurt too, hence the need for kind words and judgment towards them. It is against this backdrop that four persons are about to be used as Scape-goat for Online slander and Defamation of Character
Online character slander can have serious and harmful repercussions for people, affecting their relationships, finances, reputation, mental health, and legal situation. It emphasizes how crucial it is to act responsibly online and how strong legal frameworks are in order to deal with defamation in the digital era.
Last week, when some online users accused Bassey of being the father of a female gospel singer’s child, the singer found himself caught in a whirlwind of paternity rumors.
Famous gospel musician Nathaniel Bassey has taken legal action against four people for allegedly criminal defamation and cyberstalking against him. He has filed an official petition with Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
On Monday, April 1, 2024, Bassey’s petition was filed through his attorneys, Peter Abraham, Uche Matthew, Gbenga Agunloye, and Anthony Abia.
This action comes just a week after four social media users spread a false rumor implying that Bassey is the father of a child born to another gospel singer. The erroneous claim quickly spread, and photos of the singer and the toddler were circulated along with it.
As a result, Bassey’s legal team begged the police to look into the petition against Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, Terrence Ekot, and Dj Spoiltkid as soon as possible.
In the statement by his legal team: Through his ministry and songs, our client, a well-known gospel music pastor, has impacted many people all over the world. On Friday, March 29, 2024, however, our client was horrified to learn that the aforementioned suspects, motivated by malicious intent to tarnish his image and character, had spread defamatory content labeling him as ‘the father of Minister Mercy Chinwo Blessed’s son’ – a woman committed in matrimony to another.” This happened after Mercy Chinwo, another well-known gospel minister, shared images of her son and family on various social media platforms.”
“Mr. Kingsley Ibeh’s remark suggesting Bassey is the child’s father made the post by Mr. Okoronkwo Ejike even more popular on the platform. Furthermore, verified user ‘Dj SpoiltKid’ on the site ‘X’ (previously Twitter) repeated the implication, generating questions regarding DNA testing. In a similar vein, Mr. Terrence Ekot furthered the slanderous narrative on the same forum by asking about the similarity between Mercy Chinwo’s son and Nathaniel Bassey.
Citing the four persons’ social media posts as a comprehensive character assassination of Bassey, the legal team emphasized that these activities violated Sections 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) and Sections 373 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
It is impossible to overestimate the repercussions of making such careless remarks on social media. They have the power to cause long-lasting harm, irreversibly ruin reputations, and upend marriages. An international reputation that has been carefully developed over time is a significant asset. We thus beg you to exercise your authority to seek justice by looking into and apprehending the suspects in order to prevent similar acts in the future,” the plea read.
Nathaniel Bassey is married and is not one to bring to his family business online, he has never had any form social media scandal before now.
It is very important to choose words carefully when sharing your opinion on the internet/social media. More importantly, to be kind with our words because celebrities are humans and they have feelings and real life just like everyone else.
