Popular news and entertainment site, Linda Ikeji Blog, was taken down Wednesday by tech firm, Google, after a row over the originality of the blog’s contents.
Linda Ikeji Blog, published on Google-owned Blogger, has grown to become one of the most visited websites in Nigeria.
The site mainly aggregates and republishes news items and entertainment bits sourced from other channels, although it occasionally publishes exclusive contents.
Its publisher, Linda Ikeji, has emerged one of the most successful online entrepreneurs in Nigeria and has been rated amongst Nigeria’s most influential young women.
Lately, the site has been hit by multiple allegations of plagiarism with critics allegedly prodding Google to suspend the blog. The tech firm disallows plagiarism on its platforms.
Ms. Ikeji denies lifting materials without proper attribution.
On Tuesday, Ms. Ikeji said the site came under attack by her competitors driven by envy over her success.
The claims followed allegations of plagiarism by the publisher of another blog, 15Past8, known by the name Aye Dee. Details of the controversial work are not clear.
But on Tuesday, Ms. Ikeji dismissed the allegation in an article, saying she cited sources in all published materials.
Ms. Ikeji said Mr. Dee and other tech-savvy publishers were out to have her website suspended by Google, angered by her success and her recent acquisition of a N24million SUV.
Ms. Ikeji did not respond to our inquiries Wednesday.
She however told her readers via her twitter handle @lindaikeji: “Linda Ikeji Blog will be back in a bit…biko bear with me…:-)”.
At 9:50 P.M. on Wednesday, she announced that she was trying to get a new site for her blog.
“Oh wow! Thanks guys for all the love and support. I’m overwhelmed. Trying to get a new site…please bear with me. Long live LIB. Kisses,” she tweeted.
Google could not be immediately reached also. An official who responded to our call denied knowledge of the suspension of the website.
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