The family of an 18 year old social media user, Kingsley Akunemeihe, has appealed to billionaire businessman Tony Elumelu to forgive the teenager following his arrest over a viral post alleging that the entrepreneur had divorced his wife.

In an emotional video shared on Instagram, the teenager’s sister, Ngozi Akunemeihe, said her brother was arrested shortly after completing his Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination.

She explained that the teenager had reposted a claim on X, formerly known as Twitter, suggesting that Elumelu had separated from his wife, Awele Elumelu, without verifying the authenticity of the information.

According to her, “Mr Tony Elumelu had my 18 year old younger brother, Kingsley Chinanu Akunemeihe, arrested. He was taken into custody on Saturday, 18 April, while returning from his JAMB examination and has not returned home since.”

Ngozi further stated that her brother later discovered the information was false after being alerted by other users and subsequently issued a public apology.

“He said he obtained the information from another account and shared it. After posting it, people informed him that it was false and defamatory. He admitted his mistake and apologised. The apology posts are still available on his account. He has now been in detention for ten days,” she said.

She appealed for compassion, urging Elumelu to withdraw the complaint against her brother.

“I am pleading with you, sir, to forgive him. He is only 18. While some may consider him an adult, he remains a teenager who acted out of ignorance. He has acknowledged his wrongdoing and apologised. I appeal to you to withdraw the complaint so that he can return home,” she said.

Earlier, a statement issued by United Bank for Africa on behalf of Elumelu dismissed the divorce allegation as false, malicious, and defamatory.

“The attention of the UBA Group has been drawn to a false and defamatory publication circulating on social media, which falsely claims that the Group Chairman, Mr Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, has divorced his wife,” the statement noted.

The bank further confirmed that three individuals allegedly linked to the creation and spread of the false claim had been arrested.

Meanwhile, the case has generated mixed reactions online, with some social media users revisiting the teenager’s past posts and accusing him of previously sharing misleading information.