RismadarVoice Reporters, May 4, 2026
The family of an 18-year-old social media user and UTME candidate, Kingsley Akunemeihe, has appealed to billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, to forgive him following his arrest over a viral post alleging that the banker had divorced his wife.
In a video appeal shared on Sunday via Instagram, the suspect’s sister, Ngozi Akunemeihe, said the teenager was picked up after sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Elumelu had divorced his wife, Awele.
According to her, the young man was arrested on April 18 while returning home after sitting for his JAMB examination and has remained in detention since then.
“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 explained that the post was not created by her brother but was copied from another user’s page and reshared.
“He said he got it from another person’s handle and shared it with others. After sharing it, people called his attention to the fact that the post is fake and defamatory,” she said.
She added that the teenager later realised the post was false, deleted it, and issued an apology on his platform.
“He acknowledged he did something wrong and apologised for it. His apology posts are still there on his handle,” she said.
Despite the apology, she said he was arrested about 10 days later and has remained in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“He has been detained for over a week now,” she said.
In her emotional appeal, Ngozi urged Elumelu to consider her brother’s age and show leniency, stressing that he had shown remorse.
“I am begging you, sir, please forgive him. He is just 18. I know people may say he is an adult, but he is still a teenager who acted out of ignorance,” she said.
She further pleaded for his release, saying the experience had already served as a lesson.
“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 added.
The case is part of a wider controversy involving arrests linked to the circulation of a false divorce claim concerning Elumelu and his wife.
The United Bank for Africa (UBA), where Elumelu serves as Chairman, had earlier dismissed the claim as false and malicious, stating that it was intended to mislead the public and damage reputations.
“The attention of UBA Group has been drawn to a false, defamatory, and malicious publication currently circulating on social media platforms, falsely alleging that the Group Chairman, Mr Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, has divorced his wife,” the bank said in a statement.
UBA also confirmed that security agencies had been notified and that arrests had been made in connection with the matter.
“We confirm that three individuals directly connected to the creation and dissemination of these malicious falsehoods have been arrested,” the statement added.
The development has sparked wider debate on social media over free expression, defamation laws, and the role of law enforcement in handling online disputes.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has also called on the Nigeria Police Force to release those arrested, arguing that such matters should be treated as civil cases rather than criminal offences.
