A tweet. 1.9 million views. And now a federal court. The police on Friday arraigned a 19-year-old blogger, Nurenorue Surpruchi, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged cyberstalking and defamatory posts against the Chairman of United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu. What started as a social media post has turned into a four-count criminal charge — and a warning shot to every blogger in Nigeria about the real-world cost of spreading false information online.
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| A 19-year-old blogger has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged cyberstalking and defamatory posts targeting UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu. |
The Post That Started It All
According to the prosecution, the defendant and others still at large allegedly conspired on April 5, 2026, to use a computer system and network to disseminate false and injurious information against Elumelu.
In one of the counts, the prosecution alleged that the defendant used an X account identified as "@PROBLElEMCHIMKYI," allegedly registered in his name, to publish false and offensive statements claiming that Elumelu had divorced his wife after discovering through DNA tests that none of his seven children belonged to him.
The claim was completely false. But the damage had already been done.
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| UBA had earlier described the viral social media claims about Tony Elumelu as false and defamatory, warning that legal action would follow. |
1.9 Million Views — and a Court Summons
The publication was widely disseminated to the public, having been viewed by approximately 1.9 million persons, reposted about 1,600 times, received about 6,300 likes and saved by about 601 users — with intent to bully, threaten or harass the person of Tony Elumelu, thereby causing injury to his reputation and exposing him to public ridicule.
The scale of the spread made this impossible to ignore. Earlier in May, UBA said three persons had been arrested over the social media posts. In a statement issued by the bank's group head of brand, marketing and corporate communication Alero Ladipo, UBA described the claim as false and defamatory, and warned that legal action would be taken against individuals or platforms involved in publishing or sharing the claim.
Four Counts. One Plea. Not Guilty.
Surpruchi was arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberstalking, bullying and defamation. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The charges alleged that Surpruchi and others now at large conspired to commit the offence of cyberstalking by agreeing to use a computer system and network to disseminate false and injurious information against the Group Chairman of UBA — an offence punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 as amended.
Remanded in Custody — Next Hearing June 19
The court did not go easy on the young blogger. Justice Lewis-Allagoa adjourned the matter until June 19, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Correctional Service pending the determination of his bail request.
At 19 years old, Nurenorue Surpruchi now sits in a correctional facility waiting to find out whether he will be granted bail — all because of a post that took seconds to publish and 1.9 million people to amplify.
A Warning to Every Nigerian Blogger
This case is bigger than one tweet. It is a reminder that Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act has teeth — and that no follower count, no viral moment, and no anonymous handle can fully shield a person from the legal consequences of publishing false and damaging information about another person online.
Tony Elumelu is one of Africa's most powerful businessmen. But the principle applies to everyone. In the age of screenshots and retweets, words travel fast — and the law is catching up just as quickly.
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