Police to prosecute blogger for allegedly defaming E-Money – PPRO

The police spokesperson in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said a blogger identified as Stanley will be prosecuted for allegedly defaming a businessman, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo, AKA E-Money, in his online video.

Hundeyin disclosed this on Monday while parading the suspect before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in 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 crime, the personality went through the normal channel by reporting the case to the police, and we investigated and arrested the suspect.

“If one is defamed and you only talk about it on social media and 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.

Hundeyin warned social media users against causing injury to others by their contents, stressing that action may be taken against them if reports of their contents were found offensive by anyone.

He noted that every action has consequences, stressing that the moment false information goes out to the public and a report from a willing complainant is ready to prosecute the offender, the police will bring such fellow to justice.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the parade, the suspect admitted making the video to boost his page's followership level.

He also said that all that he said concerning E-Money in the video were not true

“I did a video about E-Money. I said a lot of things that were not true in that video, which 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 said in that video was not true.

“I made the video out of trying to boost my page traffic level; I never knew it would go viral the way it did. I don’t have bad intentions to spoil Sir E-Money’s name. I was just making the video; I didn’t know it would go so wide.

“I know the contents of the video were wrong for me to have made. I don’t know if the video will escalate to that extent,” he said.

The suspect further said that he made the video with a view to being popular while expecting to have the opportunity to see Sir E-Money one-on-one, noting that he didn’t know it would escalate wrongly.

He claimed he never really thought of the crime implications 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 would not make sense, so I decided to leave it. I have not contacted E-Money to apologise because I don’t have his contact information 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 don’t mean to tarnish his image; I didn’t mean to 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 make such a mistake again,” the suspect said.