Family seeks leniency as businessman dismisses allegation as false and defamatory
The sister of an 18-year-old social media user, Kingsley Akunemeihe, has appealed to billionaire businessman Tony Elumelu to forgive her brother following his arrest over a viral post falsely claiming the entrepreneur had divorced his wife.
In an emotional video shared on Instagram, Ngozi Akunemeihe said her brother was detained shortly after sitting for his Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
According to her, the teenager had reposted a claim on X alleging that Elumelu had separated from his wife, Awele Elumelu, without verifying its authenticity.
“Mr Tony Elumelu got the police to arrest my 18-year-old younger brother… He was coming back from his JAMB exam when he was arrested and never got home,” she said.
Ngozi explained that her brother later realised the information was false after other users flagged it and subsequently issued a public apology.
“He said he got it from another person’s handle and shared it. After sharing it, people called his attention that the post is fake and defamatory. He acknowledged he did something wrong and apologised… His apology posts are still there,” she added, noting that he has now been in detention for ten days.
Visibly distressed, she urged Elumelu to withdraw the complaint, describing her brother as a teenager who acted out of ignorance.
“I am begging you sir, please forgive him… He realised that what he did was not okay and he has apologised,” she said.
Earlier, the businessman, through United Bank for Africa (UBA), dismissed the claim as “false, defamatory and malicious,” confirming that authorities had arrested three individuals linked to the creation and spread of the allegation.
“The attention of UBA Group has been drawn to a false, defamatory, and malicious publication… falsely alleging that the Group Chairman… has divorced his wife,” the statement said.
The case has since drawn mixed reactions online. While some have expressed sympathy for the teenager, others pointed to previous posts attributed to him, alleging that he had shared unverified claims in the past involving public figures such as Kizz Daniel, Skales and comedian Sabinus.
The incident has renewed debate around the consequences of misinformation on social media and the responsibilities of users in verifying content before sharing.
