A Nigerian lawyer has issued a strong warning to Nigerians over the legal consequences of forwarding private WhatsApp conversations without consent, following the conviction and imprisonment of a man for doing so.
In a viral video circulating on social media, the lawyer revealed that the incident occurred during a court session he personally attended. According to him, the individual was found guilty of sharing a private WhatsApp conversation with third parties without obtaining permission from the other participant in the chat.
Expressing surprise at the development, the lawyer said, “Who would have thought that the first person to go to prison in 2026 would be someone jailed simply for pressing ‘forward’ on a WhatsApp conversation he had with a friend in 2025?”
He explained that many Nigerians underestimate how deeply the law applies to everyday activities, especially digital communication. According to him, private conversations conducted via mobile devices are legally protected, regardless of the platform used.
“The law does not only exist in courtrooms or law books; it plays out in our daily lives,” he said. “Every private conversation you have on your phone—whether on WhatsApp, email, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, or any other platform—is protected by law, including conversations with friends and family.”
The lawyer emphasized that individuals do not automatically have the right to share conversations simply because they appear on their personal devices. He noted that forwarding or sharing private messages without consent amounts to a violation of privacy and could attract serious legal consequences.
“You cannot forward a private conversation to a third party without the consent of the other person involved,” he warned. “The fact that the message is on your phone does not give you exclusive rights over it.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to be more cautious with private communications, stressing that every personal conversation is protected under the law and should be treated as such.
