Sister of 18-year-old social media user Kingsley Akunemeihe has appealed to United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman Tony Elumelu to forgive her brother following his arrest over a viral post.
In a video shared on social media, Ngozi Akunemeihe said her brother was arrested after writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
She said the teenager reposted a claim on X, formerly Twitter, alleging that Mr Elumelu had separated from his wife Awele Elumelu without knowing the information was false.
“Mr Tony Elumelu got the police to arrest my 18-year-old younger brother, Kingsley Chinanu Akunemeihe. He was arrested on Saturday, April 18. He was coming back from his JAMB exam when he was arrested and never got home,” she said.
Ngozi said her brother later realised the post was false after other users pointed it out and he apologised online.
“He said he got it from another person’s handle and shared it with others. After sharing it, people called his attention that the post is fake and defamatory. He acknowledged he did something wrong and apologised for it. His apology posts are still there on his handle. He has now been detained for ten days,” she added.
She asked Elumelu to withdraw the complaint.
“I am begging you sir, please forgive him. He is 18. He realised that what he did was not okay and he has apologised. I am begging you to withdraw the complaint so that he can come back home,” she said.
In a statement, UBA said the claim about Tony Elumelu’s marriage was false and defamatory.
“The attention of UBA Group has been drawn to a false publication circulating on social media platforms, falsely alleging that the Group Chairman has divorced his wife,” the statement read.
The bank said three individuals linked to the post had been arrested. It named them as Akunemeihe, Chigozie Ihebom and John Nwanorue, also known as @problemchimky.
UBA said it reported the matter to law enforcement and that investigations are ongoing. It also asked individuals and platforms to remove the content and stop further circulation.
The case has led to reactions on social media, with some users sharing past posts linked to the teenager. Some of the posts included claims about public figures that were later disputed.
The development has also led to discussions about defamation, online speech and the role of law enforcement in such cases.
Activist Omoyele Sowore has called on the police to release those arrested, saying the matter should be handled under civil law.
