Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, has announced legal action against tiktoker Timothy Gabriel, also known as Tuma, over what he described as defamatory and misleading statements targeted at him and his wife, actress Regina Daniels.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Ned Nwoko Media Directorate and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
According to Nwoko, Gabriel had challenged him and his wife to respond to his allegations and even invited them to take legal action, a challenge the lawmaker said he has now accepted.
“We have taken full notice of the vile, reckless, and malicious statements made by one Timothy Gabriel, alias Tuma, and the accompanying attempts to dress lawless behaviour in the garb of activism or press freedom,” Nwoko said.
“Gabriel not only spewed defamatory lies against Regina Daniels, my wife, an accomplished actress, but also me, and he did so repeatedly, with clear intent to provoke, incite, and destroy reputations.”
He condemned the trend of hiding behind digital platforms or street protests to avoid accountability for defamation, adding that such conduct is unacceptable in any democratic society.
“There is no democracy anywhere in the world where freedom of speech includes freedom to defame, blackmail, or incite hatred under the guise of online influence. The internet is not above the law. Those who think they can assassinate character and go unpunished are about to face the full weight of Nigeria’s legal system,” he said.
Nwoko noted that his legal team which also represents Regina Daniels is already pursuing both criminal and civil cases against Gabriel and any accomplices.
He described Gabriel’s comments, which allegedly questioned issues of paternity and morality, as “false, dangerous, and criminally prosecutable.”
“This includes both criminal defamation and civil suits, for which the evidence is overwhelming,” he said.
The senator also cautioned those defending Gabriel’s actions under the guise of human rights or activism, stating that such a defence does not excuse falsehoods or malicious attacks.
“Mr Gabriel and any co-conspirators should prepare to face the law in the most decisive manner. The real trouble has only just begun and it will not be fought on social media, but in court, through the strength of evidence and the rule of law.
“Let the public be assured; defamation is not activism, and I will ensure that the lines are drawn clearly in the courtroom,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Timothy, who had accused Regina Daniels of having a lover in Abuja, has reportedly been detained by the police following a petition from Nwoko to the inspector general of police.
Before his detention, He had shared on social media that he had been invited by the Nigerian police for questioning over the matter.
He wrote: “I’m compelled to share with you that the Nigeria Police have invited me for questioning regarding a petition filed by Ned Nwoko, Regina Daniels’ husband. As a law-abiding citizen, I’m committed to cooperating with the authorities. I’m confident in my innocence and eager to clarify the matter.”
Regina Daniels, an actress and mother of two, has been married to Ned Nwoko since 2019.
She was recently appointed as the social secretary of the 10th senate’s senators’ wives association of Nigeria (SWAN), a role in which she has been active alongside her husband’s political engagements.
