“Mom, who is my dad? Where is he? I want to see him! When is he coming?” My inquisitive son would ask repeatedly. “During visiting days and PTA meetings in school, my mate’s dad came and bought him chocolates too. They all ask me when my daddy will visit too.

All my friends in school have mums and dads, but it is just you and grandma that comes to my school when parents are invited. I’m not happy mum,” he just would not stop!

The nine year old leaves me speechless these past few weeks. He reminds me of my dark moments. What do I tell him?

When I walked out of his father’s life, it was for good, I did not anticipate a time would come I’d be summoned to answer for his where about. I never prepared for these questions.

This evening, I need to breathe!
I decided to take a stroll down my estate, dressed in my regular fitted jogger and a tee. My worst nightmare stares me in the eyes. I am a single mom and every time I’m being confronted with these questions from my son, I become flimsy, or simply elusive.

How do I explain to his tender yet curious mind, that I divorced his father because, he was manipulative, he never acknowledge my strength and belittles my achievements, or that he was extremely possessive, a serial cheat and lair too. I was a shadow of myself while the marriage lasted. I couldn’t bear the thought of going forever with him. I’ll rather stay unmarried and sane.

How would my little angel understand all these. He once called me selfish. Or maybe I was selfish because, I did not consider my son, who needed to grow in an atmosphere of love from both parents.
.
.
.
So I strolled down a few blocks, to clear my head and rehearse what to tell my son about never meeting his father in a life time. And then, something striking caught my attention. I saw my best friend’s fiancé with an heavily pregnant lady in at a restaurant, sitting and having what seem like a serious discussion.
Or so I assumed, until their intimate gestures gave them away, as being more than acquaintances.

I walked past them, from the opposite direction, I couldn’t bare to miss this gist. The expectant lady crossed over to his side of the table, and the endearment finally cleared my doubts.
The lady in question is pregnant apparently for a guy that would wed my friend in just a week! Men are so impossible!

I was in dilemma for hours, before I resort to calling my friend, I couldn’t bear to conceal this weighty information to myself.

To my greatest surprise , my friend told me he makes her happy, and since she was not getting any younger, she’d to accept him.

According to her, Finding Happiness comes at a cost, and she’s is ready to live with hers.


Credit:

https://applesbite.com/finding-happiness-part-2/

By Leye Krown

“Oko mi, oko mi, please, come into my room, we need to talk,” my overbearing mother mutters with a decoy of persuasion, as she begins another episode of her cliché sermons.

In recent times, whenever my vivacious mother addresses me as ‘Oko mi’, a word that literally translates as ‘My husband’, however, used as appellation by mother’s to refer to children they’re most proud of, their gender biases notwithstanding, I knew just one topic was up for discussion, my marital status.

“I would not want your siblings to get wind of our discussion,” she remarked, standing in a way that suggests I didn’t have a choice but to follow her into the room.

Of course, I was aware my siblings had no business interfering in my personal affair, not only was it none of their businesses, but I was also the eldest child in the house, at 33, still living under my parent’s roof. So, it would be disrespectful for them to poke nose in my affair.

My mother has been overly concerned since my last marriage packed up six years ago, and I had to return to my parent’s home.

For four years, I was married and stayed in abusive matrimony with a man whom although, never laid a hand on me physically, yet, prove himself as an irredeemable toxic human.

“Oko mi,” my mom’s reverberating voice jostled me back to reality, as I reminisce about some of the most gloomy pasts of my life, sitting in front of her in the airy room she once shared with my late dad.

“I understand if you have not found any reason to want to start another relationship just yet, trust me, I won’t push you into it,” my mom said in decoy. I have known her well enough to know she means exactly the opposite of what she said. She always promised not to coarse me into another relationship I wasn’t mentally prepared for, yet, she would not stop reminding me how old I was and how my mates were all happily married or so it seemed. I have had enough of this, I was getting fed up, however, I’d still keep my sanity, at least, for as long as I cherish the roof under my head.

“Abisolami,” she called me by native Ekiti name, which means, ‘born into wealth’, “it is, however, important you get married. For that is one of the joys of motherhood, to see one’s daughter married. And the ultimate happiness and pride for a girl child in our society are to be married.”

No, I disagree with my mum’s assertion that presupposes that my human validation and esteem was tied to being ‘Mrs. Someone’.

I disagree blatantly, but I date not confront her with a counter opinion, not only was it considered disrespectful among the Yoruba ethnic inclination of South Western Nigeria, from where I hail from, in Africa, mothers are always believed to be always right. This much is believed because they have seen more days than you have as their children.

However, in actual sense, because, someone is older does not always mean they have superior arguments to yours.

My sentiments inconsequential, mom’s are always right. Especially moms that, are believed to wish the best for their daughters.

I was 23 years old when wedded my ex-husband who was four years older. It was the worst decision a naïve, young lady that held career promises and ambition could ever make. My ex-husband who was apparently more experienced, yet, deficient in temperance exploited and constantly subjected me to emotional abuse. He made me felt less of a human and punctured my self-esteem, while the marriage lasted.

For four years of being married, I was subjected to being under, you know how the society wired, you have to be totally submissive to your husband.

After my University education, I had to wait for another year for him to decide where I’d observe my compulsory youth corpse service, and he made sure I remained in the same state with him. In due time, I’d let you into a comprehensive dairy of my four years of agony in that shackle of a marriage.

For now, I am only baffled how my mom would not stop attaching happiness to being married, she of all people should understand that finding oneself is more paramount. For in finding oneself is finding happiness. I’d want to be married when I feel both emotionally and mentally stable and of course, when I find someone whom against all odds completes me in all sense of compatibly.

My failed marriage produced a son, a smart boy I consider succor for my mistakes. I have a job. At least I can afford my needs, pay bills, and also support my family. I am on the path of happiness. I am on my journey of self-actualization, my happiness lies within me.

Ultimately, my happiness is the strength of not being affected by other people’s opinions of me or by pressure.

While I handle in my self thought, my mom’s voice jostled me back, “Oko mi, as much as I understand what you must have gone through in the hand of your ex-husband, I want you to think of what I’ve discussed with you,” she concluded.

“Eshey mummy”, that’s always the string I pull to make her assume she has ‘put sense in me’. I don’t argue, I just thank her. And I hope someday she finds her happiness without thinking of my marital state.

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/fiction-finding-happiness/

Anthony Okolie, the Delta-based trader has written a letter of ultimatum to the Department of State Services demanding the payment of N10M demages to him, as ordered by a Federal High Court in Asaba last week.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had last week ordered the DSS to pay Anthony Okolie the mentioned sum as compensation for illegally detaining him for 10 weeks after purchasing a SIM card previously owned by the President’s daughter, Hanan Buhari.

The letter dated May 21, addressed to the Director General of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi, was signed by Anthony Okolie’s lawyer, Tope Akinyode.

Okolie maintained that a cheque of N10 million must be issued to him within 24 hours.

The letter read in part, “We have been instructed by our client to recover the said debt of N10, 000, 000 from you. You are therefore requested to forward your cheque to us forthwith in settlement of the judgment debt.

“Take notice that unless we receive our cheque in settlement within 24 hours after the receipt of this letter, we shall have no choice but to take all steps available under the law to recover the said sum.

“This will include but will not be limited to instituting contempt proceedings against you and going after assets of your establishment.

We are certain that you will want to avoid the costs and embarrassment which our next course of action will entail and we hope that good counsel will prevail.”

Credit:


https://applesbite.com/hannah-sim-card-anthony-okolie-writes-dss-to-claim-n10m-damages-order/

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has admonished Muslim faithful to adhere to the federal government’s protocols on social distancing, wearing masks and hand washing in order to stay safe.

This is in a clear contradiction to some Northern governors who have relaxed the lockdown restrictions for Muslims to celebrate the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitri.

The Sultan’s advice came on the day the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 284 new cases, bringing the total figure to 6,677; 1,840 patients have been discharged while 200 have died.

Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Mohammad Abubakar (Jigawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Muhammad Yahaya (Gombe) had relaxed the restrictions imposed on their states to check the spread of the virus much against the strident advice of the federal government against the lifting of the ban on large congregations, including religious ones.

Muslims are marking the end of the Ramadan fasting tomorrow and would congregate at their Eid praying grounds on Saturday to commemorate religious rite.

But in a statement by the Deputy Secretary-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Professor Salisu Shehu, yesterday, the Sultan, who is also the spiritual leader of Muslims and the President-General of the council advised the faithful to adhere to the rules of whichever state they find themselves, saying even where lockdown is relaxed, they should tread with caution.

“As the month of Ramadan is gradually coming to an end and the Eid-ul-Fitr is approaching, it is crucial to reiterate that we are living in unusual times when almost everything normal has become abnormal, including social gatherings and large congregational prayers,” he said, adding:

“Therefore, Muslims are enjoined to note that Eid-ul-Fitr is not a compulsory religious activity (fard) and at no point should it be observed if doing so will undermine the fundamental purpose of Shari’ah: security, a multifaceted concept which includes personal, community, national, environmental and health components, among others.”

He added, “Muslims should, therefore, act according to the established protocol in their various communities and locations in Nigeria during the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. In places where restrictions have been lifted from congregational prayers, Muslims should observe their Eid prayers while still taking necessary safety measures regarding personal hygiene, facial masks, and social distancing.

“It is even advisable that in such places, massive gatherings at one Eid ground in a big city should be avoided. Rather the Eid could be performed in area-Mosques to avoid unmanageable crowds.

“However, in places where the ban on large congregational prayers and socio-religious gatherings is still in force, Muslims are directed to be law-abiding while appreciating that intentions supersede actions and actions are judged on the basis of intentions, as Prophet Muhammad said.

“Muslims are advised to be law-abiding in all circumstances, while praying to Allah fervently in their various homes, if that is what the situation requires, to forgive our sins and heal the world from destructive and disruptive diseases like Coronavirus.

“Certainly, people all over the world at large and Nigeria, in particular, are under intense pressure and the sooner the pandemic is over, the better for us all.”


Credit:

https://applesbite.com/eid-el-fitri-celebration-fg-order-against-large-congregation-and-the-varying-views-of-northern-leaders-on-muslim-celebration/

As the world remains a shadow of itself, thanks to Covid-19, outdoor activities have remained crippled for the most of us. If not deliberately planned, being indoors can be a heck of boredom.

However, we can make the best of our stay at home days and do better things together as a family that are inspiring and enriching for kids and everyone at home.

Here are five stay home creative ideas for the family this period.

1. Make pretty pop up cards.
We can all relate and appreciate a little extra love in a challenging time of social distancing and quarantine. A pop up card with sweet words would do a lot of magic.

2. Making a toy out of a container.
Gather together Old creative and simple materials you already have at home, and learn some basic mechanics through the fun process.

3. Make a DIY water garden
Use old glass jars to make a little garden with some plant cuttings that grows happily in water. Learn which common plants will grow in water here.

4. Make leaf/fruit prints : super fun natural craft activities.
These beautiful DIY leaf prints can be used as wall stickers and greeting cards. You can use leaves from any season, and fruits like pawpaw ,They are so much fun to make.

5. Make DIY paper flowers of different creative designs.
Everyone loves roses, now lean back and imagine creatively making beautiful flowers yourself, amazing right?/Here are some tutorials to make paper cherry blossoms, and paper poppy flowers.

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/five-stay-home-creative-ideas-for-the-family-this-lockdown/

As the world remains a shadow of itself, thanks to Covid-19, outdoor activities have remained crippled for the most of us. If not deliberately planned, being indoors can be a heck of boredom.

However, we can make the best of our stay at home days and do better things together as a family that are inspiring and enriching for kids and everyone at home.

Here are five stay home creative ideas for the family this period.

1. Make pretty pop up cards.
We can all relate and appreciate a little extra love in a challenging time of social distancing and quarantine. A pop up card with sweet words would do a lot of magic.

2. Making a toy out of a container.
Gather together Old creative and simple materials you already have at home, and learn some basic mechanics through the fun process.

3. Make a DIY water garden
Use old glass jars to make a little garden with some plant cuttings that grows happily in water. Learn which common plants will grow in water here.

4. Make leaf/fruit prints : super fun natural craft activities.
These beautiful DIY leaf prints can be used as wall stickers and greeting cards. You can use leaves from any season, and fruits like pawpaw ,They are so much fun to make.

5. Make DIY paper flowers of different creative designs.
Everyone loves roses, now lean back and imagine creatively making beautiful flowers yourself, amazing right?/Here are some tutorials to make paper cherry blossoms, and paper poppy flowers.

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/five-stay-home-creative-ideas-for-the-family-this-lockdown/

Since his appointment as Chairperson of the Creative Industry Covid-19 Advisory Committee, Veteran Stand up Comedian and actor Atunyota Akpoboriome popularly known as Ali Baba has come under criticism in some spheres within the creative space.

There is the conjecture making rounds that the entertainment impresario had allegedly induced the government with his covid-19 financial donation to earn his recent appointment to sit on top of the Creative Industry Covid-19 Advisory Committee.

Reacting to this claim, Ali Baba in a recent conversation with Apple’s Bite International Magazine, dismissed the allegation as lacking substance, but rather passed it as a contrived theory construed by minds that could not see beyond their nose.

“Most of our people have problems with their minds and the quality of what they think. Why would anybody think the donation I made to the government influenced my appointment on the creative industry committee? Did I also give money to influence the national honor I got?

“How much was even the donation? I have given more money to individuals, than I donated to the government to fight the pandemic. Those ones were not just public knowledge, because it was not in the media. In the last five years, I have bought not less than six cars as gifts, given cash gifts, paid house rents, paid for music video shoots and even more.

“Moreover, the donation I made was done to the Lagos State Government, so how did that influence a federal government appointment? The issues is most of our people are infantile in thinking, and they come up with different hypothesis to give credence to their shallowness.

“It is people like that would criticize banks for making donations to the government to fight covid-19, and still come out to declare loses. In between this lock down, I have lost four jobs, which are apparently bigger than my donation. That is Corporate Social Responsibility,” he said.

Speaking further, Ali Baba explained that this criticisms take different forms, “This minds can’t seems to wrap heads around forward thinking. For instance, I am a road safety marshal, when driving, and I meet a traffic jam, I simply alight and try to direct cars to ease the jam,, some people say I am showing off.

“I have always being a proponent of the point that government does not need to give us money, but rather they should create an enabling environment for our trades to thrive. The industry needs a rejig, and that has always been my drift for the industry,” he submitted.

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/1243-2/

Psychologist, Julius Okasor writes:

This is not Fiction

The call came from outside Lagos.

Hello. Is this Mr. Julius? Yes. I answered. My name is Ella. I got your number from…she said you’re a psychologist. I said, Yes. How may I help you?

Sir, I need help. I’m really down and don’t know what to do right now. I feel so depressed and my life is shattered right now. I thought I should see a therapist so my friend referred me to you. Don’t know if you can help?

First, What’s the problem? Wait…hope she told you therapy services are not free? Yes she told me. I’m willing to make the payment right away.

Alright, please go ahead and brief me on what happened.

I was in school. There was this coursemate of mine who we didn’t realize wasn’t showing up for classes anymore until she chatted me on WhatsApp. We exchange pleasantries and ask why we didn’t see her again in class. She said an opportunity showed up so she had to grab it.

We ended the chat. And ever since, we occasionally chatted. I use to see her pictures on WhatsApp which indicated she was doing quite well wherever she is. Sometimes later, I felt I needed a job. So I thought, o let me even talk to this person possibly she might be able to help.

She said no problem. That she will let me know if anything comes up. We became quite cordial, until she later told me that she discussed my need for a job with her boss. But that her boss will require I come down to Imo state. I said no problem.

She told me exactly what to wear: the shoe, and the colour of dress. Everything seems to happen all of a sudden. I began to obey every of her instructions without question. Like I was charmed or something. The urgency of everything was kind of suspicious yet I did whatever she told me to do without questions. God! How foolish I was.

I told no one about it. I dressed up and left campus at about 6pm cause it wasn’t too far from my school. I never knew I was being kidnapped.

I got there at about 9pm. I called her that I was at the exact place she told me. She said I should wait there that someone was coming to pick me.

I felt a bit scared being in the middle of nowhere at night. I called again, that I was waiting. She said I should be patient.

After about 25minutes, a man came and asked, are you Ella? He was looking in his 30’s or so. I said yes. I was told to come pick you by Loveth. Please follow me.

I was quietly following this man. We made some turns along the way, but I had no idea where we were going. On the road, the man looked at me and took off is face. He did that twice and then stopped.

He asked, what state are you from? I told him. Which LGA? I told him also. We continue walking and then he stopped again and said, Hey, listen to me. I am doing this because you’re my sister from the same state and village.

The place I’m taking you to is a place of no return. What we do there is kill people and sell their body parts. He brought out his phone and showed me pictures of people they’ve killed.

I was shocked and scared to death. While showing me pictures, my friend’s call came in on his phone. He put it on speaker so I could hear. She said, Bobby! How far? You don pick the girl? He answered, no. I’m still looking for her. She shouted and said, we must not lose that girl o. I suffer get that girl reach here o. She must not escape o. Search everywhere and look for her. Then he (bobby) said okay and switched off his phone immediately.

My heart was beating so fast. I was shaking and vibrating. I began to thank the man for telling me the truth. He said he will let me go, but I should give him something in return. I said he should take my phone and the small money with me. He said he doesn’t want a phone or the change in my purse. I said or, I will look for whatever amount he wants and send to him when I get home. He said he will be stupid to keep contact with me after I left that place.

He said the only thing he can manage is to sleep with me right there. I was shocked. I begged and cried but he won’t listen. I knelt down, shed tears, and pleaded. He said no. Or he will rather hand me over to my friend then. I quickly agreed and said ok. Right in the bush where we were, he slept with me and came on me like twice. I was shaking and crying while he did it. But I had no choice.

When he was done, he told me where to pass so I won’t be spotted by any of their backups sent to search for me. I was disoriented and confused. Didn’t even remember to pack my shoes. I just took my phone and purse and ran off.

I found my way back to campus the next day. No one knew where I had been. In my room, I Shed tears and regretted my foolishness. But it didn’t end there.

I began to have flashbacks and became so afraid. I felt sick of myself that I decided to go back home. I told my parents nothing. They ask what was wrong with me, I said I was sick. That’s all. So they bought me some maleria drugs.

At home, I began to think. What if this guy has HIV or some disease? What if he has infected me with them. Or maybe he has even pregnated me? I felt o my God! Fears, flashbacks and panic so overwhelmed me that I collapsed and was rush to the hospital twice.

At the hospital, the doctor said they couldn’t identify what was wrong with me. That I seem fine. And then gave me some drugs to relief me.

Since then. I lost my self-esteem. I became scared of almost everything. I was broken and deeply depressed. Thought of killing myself. I couldn’t go back to school again.

Secretly, I cried and cried everytime yet, couldn’t get back to normal life. My parents couldn’t figure out what was wrong and I would lie to them whenever they asked.

To help forget everything that had happened, I secretly began to take drugs – cigarette, weed and alcohol but nothing changed. So my boyfriend said maybe I should see a therapist. I said I didn’t know any. Later, I thought of it then spoke to a friend who then gave me your number.

Me: oh! I feel deeply sorry for all you have been through and will ask you a lot of questions as we proceed. Sincerely you’ve been through a lot.

Since you are not in Lagos, your therapy session will be done through phone. I will schedule your session for 2 times a week (3hrs) for the next one month and then monitor your improvement. But ensure you don’t miss any of your sessions as scheduled.

Two months later, feeling excited, she called to thank me. And then sent a text that reads: “My counselor. Thank you for helping me get my life back. I feel very grateful for all your efforts. I know you’re in a relationship. But please permit me to say, I love you. Thank you for helping me through it all. Stay blessed.”

I smiled, feeling so glad she’s doing fine and good. Once a while she calls to check in. But has never stopped sending a happy new month text ever since.

#Disclaimer: This story was shared with permission. The Names, Places and gender use are fictitious to conceal their real identity.

Need a therapy/counseling session? Are you having an emotional or Psychological burden you need help with?

Call: 0701 249 6207
Email: Behaviorz.ng@gmail.com

#BehaviorzLab


https://applesbite.com/1230-2/

From the look of things football activities will return pretty soon with Germany's government giving its nod for the Bundesliga to start on the weekend of May 16th and subsequently many other European leagues would follow suit.

The English Premier League has introduced stringent training measures in preparation for the restart on June 1st whilst the Spanish La liga is considering June 12 to make things happen in its league.

Ranging from Angola, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Egypt and many other countries on the African continent have given up hope and have cancelled their various leagues. They can only hope and pray that the situation gets calm at some points so normalcy can return.

However, the Nigerian situation is very peculiar in the sense that the league cannot end as it stands, without tempers flaring.

The league standing shows that Plateau Utd is first on the table, Rivers utd is second, with some teams having outstanding matches. Enyimba's case is interesting as they have four outstanding matches, should they win 3 they will move from their present position to the first any points gathered from these outstanding can still catapult them to at least a position in the the top four which can guarantee them a continental ticket.

The highlighted points above is one off the reasons LMC is still keeping mute as regards the fate of the NPFL.

Enyimba will feel cheated and aggrieved if Plateau Utd is declared Champions without allowing them play the same number of matches, by that declaration they would have been denied a level playing field however, apart from finishing the league whenever they deem fit, the only option right now is to declare the league null and void and hope for a fresh start when it is very safe for contact sports to resume.

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/1193-2/

Happy birthday icon

On this edition of #Lockdownrecipes, we will be making an all-time favorite that *sigh* many people are very scared of attempting; Carrot cake.

So I have tweaked and fine-tuned a recipe that you can't go wrong on. This is a straightforward, easy-peasy, you-will-have-to-really-try-to-get-it-wrong CARROT CAKE recipe

Please before you excitedly jump and go grab a handful of carrots to toss into the oven, take 2 mins to go through the ingredients and items list. Whatever you do not have, please purchase before you get started. You can't use Cameroon pepper to substitute Chilli pepper here � (yeah, I'm subbing you).

This recipe makes a single 12" or double 9" cake or about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1¼ cups pure vegetable oil
2 cups brown sugar (or 1½ white sugar + 2 tbsp browning)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups (about 6 med carrots) shredded carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds or mixed nuts
1½ cup raisins

So let's go (easy peasy)
Measure the flour, baking soda, salt and the cinnamon and sieve into a clean and dry bowl.
Measure the oil, sugar and flavor into another bowl. Break in the eggs one at a time and whisk until blended.
Using a wooden spatula (fine, use your turning stick. Wash it!), add the dry mix into the wet mix in 4 batches, gently stirring until it mixes and the batter is smooth.
Add in the carrots, nuts, and raisins and stir to evenly disperse it.

Baking our Cake (stay with me, it's easy too)
Set your oven heat to 180°C or medium-high.
If you're using baking pans, cut baking sheets to line the bottom and sides of your greased pans or grease and flour the bottom and sides of your pans.
If you're making cupcake or muffin pans, place your baking paper into the pans.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake.
Bake for about 45 - 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto your oven rack, peel off the parchment paper and cool completely. (If you find that the cake is stuck to the bottom of the pan, leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing).


Your delicious carrot cake is ready and waiting for you. If you wish to decorate it, well..check out how to make Whipped Cream frosting.
Otherwise you can sieve powdered sugar (icing sugar), Mixed Nuts, Fruit Jam, Chocolate spread or Nutella goes quite well. Enjoy!

Credit:

https://applesbite.com/lockdown-recipes-carrot-cake/

In Nigeria Law today the tort of defamation occupies a prominent place and it the same in the law of most African countries in which the common law applies. It is considerable that the plaintiffs in defamation action in the early 1960s included most of the leading political personalities of the time, and that there was hardly a national newspaper which was not a defendant in at least one such during the period. The instantaneous post – independence period in Nigeria was characterized by vigorous political activity supported by an articulate and free press.

Defamation is a renowned immunity to the exercise of right to freedom of expression under the law. With the initiation of the Internet, defamatory statements can be communicated or published with faultless ease and having their cost in geographically locatable territories. I therefore in this paper inquire about to address the peculiar challenges posed by this new medium, especially as to the occurrence of publication in determining the responsibilities of parties on the Internet and also the issue of court’s jurisdiction in internet defamation.

Also, at the same time I will view and engage the laws and approaches in some other countries, especially like the United Kingdom, the United State of America, India, etc. to identify how they institute the legal action.

WHAT IS DEFAMATION
Defamation is concerned with injury to reputation resulting from words written or spoken by others. A defamatory statement may be defined as one which tends to lower the plaintiff in the estimation of right – thinking members of society generally or to expose him to hatred, comtempt or ridicule to cause other persons to shun or avoid him or to discredit him in his office, trade or profession or rather still defamation may tend to injure someone financial credit.[1]

TYPES OF DEFAMATION
There are two types of defamation they include:
1. Libel &
2. Slander

LIBEL:
Libel is a way of defamation expressed by print, writing, pictures, signs, effigies, or any communication in material form that is injurious to a person’s reputation, exposes a person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injures a person in his/her business or profession.

Libel is a defamation in a permanent form, the most common being written or printed words contained in, for example a newspaper, a letter, or a notice.[2]

Customarily, However, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment’s defense of freedom of expression limits a State’s ability to award damages in actions for libel. In New York Times Co. v. Sullivan[3], the Court held that proof of actual malice is required for an award of damages in an action for libel involving public officials or matters of public concern. See New York Times Co. v. Sullivan[4], The Court reasoned that speech related to matters of public concern is at the heart of the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment, and outweighs the State’s interest in compensating individuals for damage to their reputations.

SLANDER:
Slander is defamation in a transient form, most often through the medium of spoken words or gestures. It is sometimes said that libel is addressed to the eye, whilst slander is addressed to the ear. It is doubtful whether defamatory statement contained in gramophone records, tape recordings or cassettes are libel or slander for they are in permanent form and yet addressed to the ear.[5]
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA DEFAMATION
Social media defamation refers to a libelous or slanderous statement that is made on a social media platform.
For the purposes of this blog post, social media is defined as interactive computer technology or website which enables the creation and sharing of information, interests, photographs, ideas, and other types of expression.

Defamation is not simply a numbers game, but normally the more readers the offending post has the greater the probability of damaging someone status. Damage may increase further, and additional claims arise, if the defamatory message is reposted to another place. On the contrary if the level of readership is low then a claim for libel may fail unless it can be established on evidence that the posting has caused or is likely to cause serious reputational harm this is a requirement of any defamation claim under sections 1(1) of the Defamation Act 2013.

The normal laws of libel apply to publications on social media, including the ability of the defendant to raise various defences. For example, the defence of truth or honest opinion.[6]

WHO DO YOU SUE?
There is a lot of question on who to sue for defamation made on social media and also who can sue. Plaintiffs who have suffered online defamation often go after their Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the website that hosts the defamatory content at issue, like Facebook or Google.

That’s because these companies are wealthy and can afford to pay the plaintiff’s damage demand in defamation cases. In the United States, however, pursuing an ISP or a website is not a legitimate legal option for a plaintiff making a defamation claim. In 1995, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act, which protects ISPs, social media platforms and website hosts from defamation claims. Plaintiffs who believe they have been defamed online should bring a claim against the person or entity that actually made the defamatory statement.

In doing so, the plaintiff will have to suit in an appropriate state court. The appropriate state court should be determined after a jurisdictional analysis is conducted by an attorney.
You could potentially bring a claim against the person who wrote the statement or against a person who went on to publish it further by ‘sharing it’.
However you cannot bring an action against someone who is not the author, editor or publisher of the statement unless it is satisfied it was not reasonable practicable for an action to be brought against the author, editor or publisher. You should look to bring an action against the author editor or publisher in the first instance. You cannot simply sue the website or social media provider. However, if the author of the comments is anonymous, and you have no means of finding out who they are, you can sue the publisher of the comments, i.e. the website or social media platform.

SUING FOR DEFAMATORY COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
If you’ve been defamed or libeled on social media, you wll typically be required to prove four elements in order to succeed in your defamation action:
1. False statement of fact
2. Publication to a third-party
3. Fault
4. Damages

JUDICIAL VIEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA DEFAMATION INDIA AS A CASE STUDY
In this first ever case on social media Defamation in SMC Pneumatics (India) Pvt. Ltd. v. Jogesh Kwatra, wherein a disgruntled employee sent derogatory, defamatory, vulgar and abusive emails to the company’s fellow employers and to its subsidiaries all over the world with an intent to defame the company along with its managing director, the High Court of Delhi granted ex-parte ad interim injunction restraining the defendant from defaming the Plaintiff in both the physical and in the cyber space.

Further, in the case of Kalandi Charan Lenka v. State of Odisha, the Petitioner was stalked online and a fake account was created in her name. Additionally, obscene messages were sent to the friends by the culprit with an intention to defame the Petitioner. The High Court of Orissa held that the said act of the accused falls under the offence of cyber defamation and the accused is liable for his offences of defamation through the means of fake obscene images and texts.

CONCLUSION
With enormous power comes huge responsibility a common phrase in popular culture from the Spiderman story shape suitably describes the circumstances of the use of machinery and its potential misuse. The natural transfer of data and information over the internet has made it a critical hotspot for defamation. Although, there are laws in place which prohibit people from posting such content online, most people are not aware of the same or are too negligent to realize whether such content is defamatory or not. At times, when free speech runs contradictory to a person’s reputation it becomes pertinent for the State to establish a boundary, lest that free speech becomes a weapon in the hands of certain people. There is a dire need of a system which educates and makes people aware of what to do and what not to do, what is wrong and what is right and what is defamatory and what is not defamatory on social media. Further, the intermediaries which provide such an open platform should monitor the content posted on it and take appropriate actions against such users who post such defamatory content in order to avoid repetition in the future.
[1] Libel and Slander by Gatley 7th ed.. Chap. 2
[2] Kodilinye and Aluko: The Nigerian Law of Torts, 2nd edt. Pg139
[3] (1964) 376 U.S 254
[4] Ibid
[5] Op.cit `1
[6] Section 2 & 3 defamation Act 2013.

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