The true details behind the conviction of the X user jailed for cyberbullying Adekunle Gold's family have emerged. Adeboye Samuel Adeyeye, who goes by the username "@Swanky00" on X, pleaded guilty to cyberbullying and harassment of Afrobeats superstar Adekunle Gold and his family.
Background of the Case
This week, the internet was set ablaze by the news of a certain X user "@Swanky00," who was jailed for two years for the crime of cyberbullying Adekunle Gold and his family. A young man, Adeboye Samuel Adeyeye, who goes by the username "@Swanky00" on X, pleaded guilty to cyberbullying and harassment of Afrobeats superstar Adekunle Gold and his family. @Swanky00 was apprehended after he shared a post falsely announcing the death of Adekunle Gold and Simi's 6-year-old daughter. The Federal High Court convicted @Swanky00 on three counts of Cyberbullying, Cyberthreats, and Cyberharassment.
@Swanky001, whose real name is Adeboye Samuel Adeyeye, pleaded guilty to the crime, which led to a sentence that has sparked debate on the criminalisation of defamation in Nigeria. Pulse Nigeria has gathered some facts on the matter and the reasoning behind the court's decision.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
On 15 May 2026, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, in IGP v. Adeboye Samuel Adeyeye (Suit No. FHC/L/236C/26), found the defendant guilty on all three counts of Cyberbullying, Cyberthreats, and Cyberharassment. The Court sentenced him on the three counts, with the terms to run concurrently, and further restrained him from engaging in any conduct capable of damaging the complainants' reputations.
The Offensive Post and Harassment Campaign
Adeyeye AKA @Swanky001 shared a post on his X account falsely announcing the passing of Adekunle Gold and Simi's daughter. The post quickly got attention, with several users cautioning him to delete the post because it exposes the minor to danger and puts the family in harm's way. Rather than take down the post, Adeyeye AKA @Swanky001 doubled down on the falsehood with the intentions of receiving a handsome payout from the millions of views and thousands of comments the post was generating. The defendant engaged in a sustained online campaign of vile harassment and attacks against Adekunle Gold and his family from July 2025 until March 2026, when he was arrested.
Evidence of Sustained Harassment
In this case, the prosecution submitted evidence of sustained harassment by @Swanky001, where he targeted Adekunle Gold on X with vile and false comments about the paternity of his daughter and defamatory pictures of Simi. Screenshot of some of @Swanky001's posts on X defaming and harassing Adekunle Gold were presented. @Swanky001 ran a monetised X account, which the prosecution used as evidence that he posted the defamatory and false statements with the intention of profiting from its shock value and virality, while possessing full knowledge that the statements were, in fact, false and defamatory.
Federal High Court Judgement
In arriving at its decision, the Court considered the pleas made on behalf of the defendant, including his parents' apology letters, health condition, age, demeanour before the Court, timely admission of guilt, and the fact that he is a first-time offender. After considering all relevant factors, the Court sentenced him as follows:
- 2 years on Count 1 under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2024
- 2 years on Count 2 under Section 24(2)(i) of the Cybercrimes Act 2024
- 1 year on Count 3 under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act
The sentences were to run concurrently. The Court also gave an option of a ₦1,000,000 fine and further restrained the defendant from engaging in any further conduct capable of injuring the complainants. At a time when the successful and respectable musicians Adekunle Gold and his wife, Simi, have been the target of malicious, calculated, and injurious falsehood by a horde of online trolls, this judgment reinforces a simple point: false statements made with malicious intent to cause irreparable harm, bully, or threaten persons online carry legal consequences. Adekunle Gold and his lawyers chose to follow due process, and this outcome affirms the value of allowing the legal system to address crimes.
Reactions to the Judgment
Reactions have since trailed the news of Adeyeye's conviction, with observers calling it a welcome development that will curb the growing trend of false, dangerous, and injurious content spread by individuals hiding behind faceless accounts. While some observers initially declared their fears and concerns that a two-year sentence was too severe for a first-time offender and over a crime of defamation, the inclusion of the option of a fine has been praised as a positive step by the court to protect the rights of individuals and curtail the Cybercrime Act 2021 from being used as a tool to imprison dissenting voices. With what appears to be the first high-profile conviction for cyberbullying in Nigeria, it is expected that it will make social media users more cognizant of what they share online and take responsibility for their actions.
