Ned Nwoko responds to false claim linking him to Regina Daniels murder plot

Senator Ned Nwoko has publicly responded after a man who previously accused him of paying N5 million to kill actress Regina Daniels issued a public apology.

The senator used the moment to draw attention to what he described as the dangers of Nigeria’s largely unregulated social media space.

On X, Nwoko wrote that the viral video and false allegation are “testament to the fact that Nigerian social media space has become one of the most unregulated in the world.” He said that making serious, unfounded claims for clicks and views has become a common trend, one that preys on public emotion and causes real damage.

“Laying very serious allegations have become a common trait to attract millions of views without recourse to the damaging effects on the people involved,” Nwoko wrote.

He added that the possibility of evading consequences because many of these claims target powerful people who might struggle to clear their names further encourages this “deviant behaviour.”

The senator argued that this case and many others justify what he described as “the urgent need for the social media bill in the National Assembly.” According to him, social media companies should be required to register in Nigeria, open offices locally, and take responsibility for defamatory content shared on their platforms.

“You can’t lie to make money and turn around to apologise after criminally defaming and hurting people,” Nwoko said.

He pointed out that while local media organisations already comply with defamation and libel laws, foreign social media platforms operate with near impunity in Nigeria. He questioned why such companies should be exempt from regulation, especially since they avoid paying taxes and cannot easily be held legally accountable when defamatory content spreads.

Using a metaphor familiar in housing law, Nwoko said:

“If landlords are being threatened with punishments for actions of their tenants who are yahoo-boys, what stops social media companies from being held responsible for allowing defamatory content on their platforms.”

Ned Nwoko issued a direct appeal to Nigerians to support his proposed bill, stressing that what happened to him today could happen to anyone tomorrow:

“It’s Senator Ned today, who knows who is next?”