Lagos Court Jails Social Media User Over Fake Death Post in Cyberbullying Case

(Activist Omoyele Sowore and Adekunle Gold. Photo Credit: X.com)

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a social media user, Adeboye Samuel Adeyeye, to two years in prison for cyberbullying and related offences under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

The conviction stemmed from a post he made online in July 2025 falsely announcing the death of the daughter of musician Gold, sparking widespread concern.

The harassment campaign, which also targeted Gold’s wife Simi and their family, continued until March 2026. The sentence was handed down on May 15, 2026.

The case drew mixed reactions online. Activist Omoyele Sowore described the two-year sentence as excessive, pointing to a past satirical post by Gold himself as context.

However, supporters of the verdict argued that spreading death hoaxes about someone’s child causes serious harm and backed Gold’s decision to pursue justice through proper legal channels.

The case has reignited debate in Nigeria around the balance between protecting individuals and families from harmful online lies and concerns over the potential misuse of the Cybercrimes Act to restrict free expression.

“How dare Adekunle Gold go and send somebody to jail for two years for writing something we all know that it’s not true. Someone posted my wife and children have d!3d and I didn’t even reply to it.”

— Omoyele Sowore. pic.twitter.com/ZEbuwFctZt

— 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍 (@AsakyGRN) May 19, 2026