A 19-year-old blogger, Nurenorue Surpruchi, was on Friday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged cyberstalking and defamatory posts targeting the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu.
Surpruchi was brought before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberstalking, bullying and defamation. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to the prosecution, led by A.G. Obi of the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, the defendant and others still at large allegedly conspired on April 5, 2026, to use a computer system and network to spread false and injurious information against Elumelu.
When the matter came up for arraignment, the prosecution counsel informed the court that charges had been filed and requested that they be read to the defendant for his plea, which was subsequently done.
Following his plea, the prosecution said it had only just been served with the defendant’s bail application and needed time to respond, urging the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the hearing of the application.
Defence counsel, A. Edoh, confirmed the late service of the bail application and asked for a short adjournment to allow the court to hear it properly.
After listening to both parties, Justice Lewis-Allagoa adjourned the case until June 19, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
One of the counts alleged that the defendant used an X account identified as “@PROBLElEMCHIMKYI,” reportedly registered in his name, to publish false statements claiming that Elumelu had divorced his wife after discovering through DNA tests that none of his seven children belonged to him.
The prosecution further alleged that the publication, which reportedly generated about 1.9 million views, 1,600 reposts, 6,300 likes and over 600 saves, was intended to harass, bully and damage the reputation of the UBA chairman.
According to the charge, the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), as well as sections of the Criminal Code Act.
The case has been adjourned for hearing of the bail application.