Human rights activist and social media commentator Chuks Eric (@ChuksEricE) has reportedly been arrested and transferred to Abuja following a petition allegedly filed by Senator Ned Nwoko. The petition stems from a viral TikTok video, made by another individual, accusing the senator of attempting to harm his estranged wife, Regina Daniels.

A family member told SaharaReporters that Chuks was lured out of his residence on Friday night by a phone call accusing him of stealing aluminium windows. Upon arriving at the location, he was arrested and taken to a police station.

The family said investigators later confirmed that Chuks was neither responsible for the alleged theft nor the originator of the viral social media post—he had only shared someone else’s content. Despite this, he was reportedly released later that night on the condition that he accompany authorities to Abuja the following day.

As of Sunday afternoon, Chuks’ whereabouts remain unknown. Attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful, and his family and lawyers have not been granted access to him. His X (formerly Twitter) account showed no activity for over 20 hours.

A close associate reported that Chuks had reached out late Saturday night requesting a lawyer’s number, but did not respond after the contact was provided. His sister confirmed that the petition was linked to the viral video, falsely alleging that Chuks was the person in the clip.

The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with activists and users condemning what they described as wrongful targeting and abuse of power. The original TikTok creator, known as @liaroftiktok, has since appeared online, apologizing to Senator Nwoko.

Activists are calling on the Nigeria Police Force to act professionally and transparently, carefully distinguishing between Chuks Eric and the original TikTok creator. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also highlighted a “distressing” message sent by Chuks before his arrest, in which he expressed concern over being targeted over the video.