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Senator Ned Nwoko has finally addressed the viral apology video made by the young man who accused him of plotting to harm his wife, Nollywood star Regina Daniels. In a statement shared online, the Delta North lawmaker said the incident highlights that Nigeria’s social media space has become “one of the most unregulated in the world,” with individuals freely making damaging allegations to chase views.
According to Nwoko, this behavior persists because many offenders believe they can provoke public emotions, evade consequences, and later issue apologies when situations escalate.
In his statement, the senator wrote:
“The accompanying video trended a couple of days ago. It is testament to the fact that the Nigerian social media space has become one of the most unregulated in the world. Making very serious allegations has become a common tactic to attract millions of views, without regard for the damaging effects on the people involved.”
He further stressed that the incident “clearly justifies the urgent need for the social media bill” currently before the National Assembly.
“You can’t lie to make money and then apologize after criminally defaming and hurting people,” he said, emphasizing that social media companies must be held accountable for the content they allow.
Nwoko argued that if Nigerian landlords can face penalties for the actions of tenants who commit cybercrimes, foreign tech platforms should similarly bear responsibility for defamatory posts published on their platforms. He called for these companies to be required to register and open offices in Nigeria, noting that such measures would create jobs, facilitate technology transfer, improve tax payments, ease litigation, and help security agencies track criminal activities.
“It’s Senator Ned today—who knows who is next?” he added, urging Nigerians to support his bill aimed at enforcing proper regulation of social media in the country.
