By Desire Emmanuel
A man who was said to have defamed and cyberbullied a popular Ibadan-based Fuji musician, Adebisi Taye Akande, popularly known as Taye Currency, has been arrested by men of the Oyo State Police Command.
The arrest of the man, Afunso Ridwan Abiola (a.k.a. Rolex Dee), followed a petition received at the office of the Commissioner of Police in respect of a case of cyberbullying, defamation of character and threat to life by the man against the musician.
The petition alleged that the musician was subjected to sustained acts of cyberbullying and defamation by the man across multiple social media platforms.
It was further alleged that Afunso, after previously receiving financial assistance to the tune of ₦800,000 from the musician for the promotion of his music career, resorted to making disparaging and damaging statements capable of injuring the reputation of Taye Currency.
In addition, the man was alleged to have made further defamatory utterances during a radio programme which subsequently gained widespread circulation on social media, thereby aggravating the impact of the alleged misconduct.
Consequent upon diligent investigation and technical intelligence, Afunso was tracked and apprehended in Lagos State by operatives of the command and has since been brought into custody for further investigation.
The command said it decided to issue a statement on the matter following reports circulating on certain online platforms alleging unlawful detention of the man by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit, adding that such claims are false, mischievous and a gross misrepresentation of facts.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the suspect is being held in lawful custody, and all procedures undertaken so far strictly comply with extant laws and established protocols. The command remains committed to ensuring due process, fairness, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all parties involved,” it said in the statement issued on Wednesday.
