An Abuja Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 6, FCT, has issued a Criminal Summons against five individuals: Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, DJ Spoiltkid, Terrence Ekot, and Samuel Agozie, for alleged defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.

The five people were summoned by the court’s registrar, Emmanuel Iyanna, to appear in court on April 23 after they alleged that well-known gospel musician Nathaniel Bassey is the father of Mercy’s son.

This came after Pastor Blessed Uzochikwa, Mercy’s husband, filed a direct criminal complaint through his attorneys, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi, Esq., accusing the five of criminal defamation.

According to Uzochikwa’s complaint, intentional dissemination of harmful false information, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking were the means used to carry out the claimed acts of criminal defamation.

This comes after Nathaniel Bassey also filed a petition before the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting the investigation and prosecution of four other people for allegedly engaging in criminal defamation and cyberstalking against him

On Monday, April 1, 2024, Nathaniel Bassey filed the petition against the four individuals through his legal representatives, Peter Abraham, Uche Matthew, Gbenga Agunloye, and Anthony Abia

The four social media users named in the petition—Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, Terrence Ekot, and DJ Spoiltkid—were urged to be investigated by the police authorities immediately.

“Our client is a gospel music minister whose songs and sermons have impacted the lives of so many from different walks of life across the globe.

“On Friday, the 29th day of March 2024, Mercy Chinwo, another popular gospel music minister, and her husband posted pictures of their son and themselves on different social media platforms.

“However, our client was disheartened, saddened, and grossly disturbed to find that the above-mentioned suspects, as mischief makers with a criminal intent to destroy the image and character of our client, had made different social media posts of defamatory matter, calling our client ‘the father of minister Mercy Chinwo Blessed’s son,’ a woman who is married to another man.

“The post by Mr. Okoronkwo Ejike has since gone viral on the platform. In reaction to the post, Mr. Kingsley Ibeh commented on Mr. Okoronkwo’s post with a picture of our client with the caption “The real father of the baby