Omoyele Sowore has criticised singer Adekunle Gold over the reported imprisonment of a social media user accused of spreading false claims online about the musician and his family.
Speaking during an interview that has since gone viral on social media, Sowore questioned the decision by Adekunle Gold and his wife, Simi, to allegedly pursue legal action that reportedly resulted in a young man spending more than two years in prison over comments made on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Sowore argued that public figures should learn to ignore false rumours instead of involving law enforcement against critics or online users.
“How dare Adekunle Gold, after getting some little money and fame, send somebody to jail for two years for writing something we all know is not true? Yesterday people were calling me that my wife and children had died in the US. I simply called them to confirm they were alive and moved on,” he said.
The activist also referenced similar incidents involving other public figures, including the family of former US President Donald Trump and a Kaduna-based religious leader who was falsely declared dead during the COVID-19 period.
According to Sowore, the situation reflects what he described as a growing culture of oppression among influential Nigerians.
“How can you sit down with police and prosecutors to jail someone for two and a half years because of three lines on Twitter? Nigerians complain about oppression until they get small power, then they become worse,” he added.
The development has further fueled ongoing conversations in Nigeria surrounding cybercrime laws, freedom of speech online, and the arrest of social media users over controversial social media posts.
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