Lawyer Sues Tonto Dikeh Over Viral Deliverance Video Involving Schoolgirl, Seeks ₦200m Damages
Human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi has filed a suit against Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh over a viral video showing her performing a deliverance ritual on a schoolgirl in Abuja. The case was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009. Obasi is seeking a court declaration that the actress’s actions violated the rights of the child involved. The suit was filed on behalf of the minor, a Junior Secondary School One student at JSS Durumi II in Abuja, who is originally from Rivers State. In an affidavit attached to the filing, the lawyer said he came across the video and photos on Tonto Dikeh’s official Facebook page on March 6, 2026. The footage reportedly showed the actress conducting what he described as a forceful religious deliverance on the student during a school visit. According to the affidavit, the child was placed on bare ground and held against a rough surface while the ritual took place. Obasi argued that the incident amounted to harassment and exposed the girl to public embarrassment. He told the court that the actions not only undermined the student’s dignity but could also cause emotional stress and shame, particularly after the video circulated widely on social media. The lawyer also expressed concern about the public sharing of images and videos of the child, stating that it violated her right to privacy under the Nigerian Constitution and the Child Rights Act. Obasi further argued that portraying the schoolgirl as possessed by evil spirits and attempting to cast out those spirits could subject her to ridicule and discrimination, especially in communities with strong beliefs in witchcraft and spiritual attacks. He emphasized that the conduct went beyond normal religious practice and risked exposing minors to public stigma. Through the suit, the lawyer is seeking a declaration that the alleged deliverance ritual violated the child’s right to dignity under Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Child Rights Act. The court is also being asked to rule that performing religious rituals on children in this manner infringes on their fundamental rights. Additionally, Obasi is requesting orders requiring the actress to remove all related videos and photos from her social media accounts and to issue a public apology to the child and Nigerian children in three national newspapers. The suit also seeks to prohibit Tonto Dikeh from conducting similar deliverance rituals on minors in Nigeria in the future. Finally, the lawyer is demanding N200 million in damages for the alleged violations of the child’s rights to dignity and privacy.
