3rd April, 2024
Gospel singer, Nathaniel Bassey has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the allegation that he is the father of Mercy Chinwo Blessed’s child.
Chinwo and her husband had on 29 March, 2024, posted photos of their son on Instagram and other social media platforms. Four social media users had said Bassey was the father of Chinwo’s son, claiming that the baby resembled him.
The posts had gone viral with social media users casting aspersion on Bassey.
The gospel singer petitioned the IGP through four of his lawyers. They are Peter Abraham, Uche Matthew, Gbenga Agunloye, and Anthony Abia.
The petition to the IGP said on Friday, the 29th day of March 2024, Chinwo, another popular gospel music minister, and her husband posted pictures of their son and themselves on different social media platforms.
The petition said, however, their client was disheartened, saddened, and grossly disturbed to find that the suspects Okoronkwo Ejike, Kingsley Ibeh, Terrence Ekot, and DJ Spoiltkid, as mischief makers with a criminal intent to destroy the image and character of their client, had made different social media posts of defamatory matter, calling their client ‘the father of minister Mercy Chinwo Blessed’s son,’ a woman who is married to another man.
The lawyers said the post by Ejike had since gone viral on the platform and that in reaction to the post, Ibeh commented on Ejike’s post with a picture of their client with the caption “The real father of the baby.”
They added that in a post on the platform “X” ‘Dj SpoiltKid’ a verified X user, quoted the statement by Okoronkwo Ejike along with a screenshot of the post and added, “When are we doing DNA test?”
“In another post, Mr Terrence Ekot, on the platform “X”, made a post thus: “Take a look at the stunning resemblance of Mercy Chinwo’s son and Nathaniel Bassey. Though the duo has been working together on several projects, what do you have to say?”
“These nefarious acts of these suspects, if not immediately dealt with, will continue to destroy our client’s image, injure his reputation, assassinate his character, and cast aspersion on the good name built by our client over the years,” the lawyers added.
According to the petition, the consequences of making such statements on social media had been known to tarnish the reputations of individuals, render marriages unstable, and many never recover from them.
They added that “international reputation is an asset—both for the individual and the nation—and takes time to acquire.
“Consequently, we urge you to use your good offices to, in the interest of justice, investigate this matter, arrest, and bring the suspect to justice, which will serve as a deterrent to others.”