Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Nigeria Police Force over the arrest of bloggers linked to a viral report claiming that business mogul Tony Elumelu was involved in a divorce case.
Sowore described the arrests as an abuse of police powers, arguing that the issue is purely a civil matter involving alleged defamation, not a criminal offence that should attract detention.
He insisted that publishing or circulating claims about a public figure’s personal life such as marital status does not justify arrest, stressing that law enforcement should not be used to silence online publishers or bloggers.
The controversy follows reports that several content creators were arrested after a viral post alleged that Tony Elumelu had divorced his wife, a claim which his company strongly denied and described as false and defamatory.
A bank statement earlier confirmed that the individuals linked to the publication had been taken into custody, sparking debate over freedom of expression, digital journalism, and the limits of defamation laws in Nigeria.
Sowore’s reaction has since added to the growing public discourse, with critics arguing that while misinformation should be challenged, police intervention in such cases must be carefully justified to avoid suppressing press freedom.
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