Cyberbullying Kills: Why Pere Egbi’s tragedy should wake us up

Former Big Brother Naija star and media personality Pere Egbi recently took to his X account to share deeply heartbreaking news: he lost a friend to suicide, “due to online bullying,” he wrote.

“I lost a friend today due to online bullying. Committed suicide. Smh. RIP champ. It is well.” 

That line, so brief, so direct, sums up an urgent crisis: cyberbullying isn’t harmless banter. It kills.

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The psychological toll of cyberbullying

Persistent harassment leads to anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, tragically, suicide. Victims can feel helpless, isolated, and unable to escape. 

Research by Mustapha Ibrahim of the University of Maiduguri, Philip N. Ndubueze of the Federal University Dutse, Nigeria, and Sadiq Ewaoda Amali found that adolescents who are cyberbullied face long-term psychological and academic setbacks: isolation, dropping grades, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.

Another 2022 study by Mustapha-Abdulqadir Mulikat Ladi and Muhammed Abolakale Shuaib of the University of Ilorin, and Halimat Jumai Muhammed noted that 54% of Nigerian students reported experiencing cyberbullying, and the stress carried into school and home life.

Victims often endure physical symptoms, loss of self-esteem, PTSD, and disrupted daily functioning.

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What must be done?

Pere Egbi’s terse post, “I lost a friend today due to online bullying…” is a sobering reminder that cyberbullying isn’t virtual: it manifests in real-life tragedies. This isn’t just about hurt feelings. It’s about lives lost, futures extinguished.

As celebrities speak up, we must listen, not just nod in agreement, but act: strengthen laws, bolster mental health, and build a culture that refuses to let trolling become lethal.

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Today, social media has created an environment where vitriol is thrown around in everyday conversations and toxicity is deemed an acceptable personality trait.

Some people peddle dangerous lies and promote injurious falsehoods in the name of jokes or "cruise," as it's now popularly described on Nigerian social media.

We must understand that actions that may appear comical or harmless can be damaging to the lives of others.

The act of cyberbullying is also a crime in Nigeria, where the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 provides for punishment of imprisonment and fines of up to ₦25,000,000.

Section 24(2) specifically provides that: "any person who knowingly or intentionally transmits or causes the transmission of any communication through a computer system or network to bully, threaten or harass another person, where such communication places another person in fear of death, violence or bodily harm or to another person commits an offence and on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of 10 years and/or a minimum fine of N25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Naira)."

Although the implementation of this law still leaves a lot to be desired, individuals should know that engaging in cyberbullying is not only a moral wrong but a punishable offence that can send them to prison.