By Deborah Nnamdi
Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, has announced plans to initiate legal action against social media influencer Timothy Gabriel over what he describes as defamatory and false claims made against him and his wife, Regina Daniels.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Ned Nwoko Media Directorate and shared with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday.
According to Nwoko, Gabriel not only made the allegations but also openly challenged him and his wife to respond, effectively inviting legal proceedings—a challenge Nwoko says he has now accepted.
He emphasized that no one has the right to make baseless, offensive accusations against another citizen and then attempt to avoid responsibility through social media tactics or public protests.
“We have taken full notice of the vile, reckless, and malicious statements made by one Timothy Gabriel, alias Tuma, and the accompanying attempts to dress lawless behavior in the garb of activism or press freedom.
“Gabriel not only spewed defamatory lies against Regina Daniels, my wife, an accomplished actress, but also me, and he did so repeatedly, with clear intent to provoke, incite, and destroy reputations.
“There is no democracy anywhere in the world where freedom of speech includes freedom to defame, blackmail, or incite hatred under the guise of online influence.
“The internet is not above the law. Those who think they can assassinate character and go unpunished are about to face the full weight of Nigeria’s legal system.
“My legal team, also representing Regina-Daniels Nwoko, is already taking every step necessary to prosecute Gabriel and his enablers through every legal means available.
“This includes both criminal defamation and civil suits, for which the evidence is overwhelming.
“His slanderous comments about paternity, morality, and fictitious personal “evidence” are not only damaging, they are false, dangerous, and criminally prosecutable,” he said.
The lawmaker added that those amplifying or defending the behavior of Gabriel under the banner of human rights advocacy should know that freedom of speech does not include the right to lie and destroy.
“Mr Gabriel and any co-conspirators should prepare to face the law most decisively. The real trouble has only just begun, and it will not be fought on social media but in court through the strength of evidence and the rule of law.
“Let the public be assured; defamation is not activism, and I will ensure that the lines are drawn clearly in the courtroom,” he stressed.
