A blogger, Nwanorue John Surpruchi, has been arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police through Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID Annex Alagbon in Ikoyi, Lagos over alleged cyberstalking and defamatory publications targeting the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa, UBA, Tony Elumelu, and his family.
The defendant was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberstalking, dissemination of false information and defamation.
The defendant was arraigned on Friday before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi and pleaded not guilty to all charges preferred against him.
According to the prosecution, led by Barrister A.G. Obi, the defendant allegedly used a Twitter (now X) account identified as @problemchlmkyi to publish false claims that Elumelu had divorced his wife after Deoxyribonucleic Acid, DNA tests purportedly revealed that none of his seven children belonged to him.
The prosecution told the court that the publication, allegedly made on April 5, 2026, gained widespread attention on social media, generating about 1.9 million views, over 1,600 reposts, more than 6,300 likes and hundreds of saves by users.
The police alleged that the publication caused annoyance, hatred, ill-will, intimidation and reputational damage to Elumelu and his family, exposing them to public ridicule.
Barrister Obi further informed the court that the alleged offences contravened Sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), as well as Sections 373 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
Following the defendant’s plea, the prosecutor said she had only just been served with the defence’s bail application and needed time to study and respond to it.
She subsequently requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant pending the determination of his bail application.
Counsel to the defendant, Barrister Anslem Etoh, informed the court that the bail application was still being processed and requested a short adjournment.
After listening to both parties, Justice Lewis-Allagoa adjourned the matter until June 19, 2026, for hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.
In one of the charges, the police alleged that Surpruchi and others still at large conspired to use a computer system and network to disseminate false and injurious information against Elumelu.
Another count accused the defendant of knowingly transmitting false and offensive messages through the X platform with intent to cause annoyance, hatred, ill-will and intimidation.
The prosecution further alleged that the publication was deliberately circulated to bully, threaten or harass the businessman, causing injury to his reputation and exposing him to ridicule among members of the public.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa has adjourned trial till June 19 for hearing of the defendant’s application for bail.
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