Nigerian comedian and actor, Mr Macaroni, has urged other celebrities to seek legal redress for online defamation, rather than resorting to illegal arrests or detentions.
Following claims that Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham had an X user arrested for reportedly wishing harm to her child, Mr. Macaroni made his remarks.
Mr Macaroni In a series of posts on his X handle highlighted the dangers of misusing police authority to address personal grievances, citing his own experiences with defamation by alleged trolls of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He emphasized that he has never resorted to illegal detentions, despite facing numerous false accusations and insults.
“If anyone insults you or defames your character, go to court and seek justice,” Mr Macaroni urged. “APC trolls insult me and tell so many lies against my person. I have never for once used the police to illegally arrest or detain anyone and never will I.”
He warned that the misuse of police power to detain citizens poses a serious danger and stressed the importance of following legal procedures.
“There is serious danger in using the police to illegally detain citizens. I hope those of you supporting this abuse of power won’t cry foul when you or your loved ones are the victims,” he wrote.
Mr Macaroni also clarified that his stance is not in support of online bullying and harassment, which he strongly condemns.
He acknowledged the mental toll that such actions can take but insisted that the proper course of action is to seek justice through the courts.
“Don’t use your friends in government to illegally detain citizens,” he cautioned. “It may favor you now, but think about tomorrow when you no longer have that power or the closeness to that power. It might not be you, it might be someone you care about. What will become of us if everyone takes law into their own hands?”