Tonto Dikeh is sued for ₦200M over alleged exorcism of a schoolgirl, accused of violating the child’s rights and sharing the video online
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has been dragged to court by human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi over an alleged religious exorcism carried out on a Junior Secondary School 1 student in Abuja.
The lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, seeks ₦200 million in damages for the child.
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According to the court documents, the incident occurred on March 6, 2026, and was captured in a viral video posted on Dikeh’s official Facebook page.
The footage allegedly shows the schoolgirl being laid on bare ground and pressed against a stony surface while the actress performed the ritual, wearing artificial nails.
The lawyer claims the act subjected the child to public humiliation, psychological trauma, and stigmatisation. He argues that sharing the video online violated the child’s right to privacy as guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act 2003.
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Obasi is seeking the court to:
- Declare that the alleged ritual violated the child’s fundamental rights to dignity under Section 34 of the Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Child Rights Act.
- Order Dikeh to remove the video and images from social media.
- Publish an unreserved apology in three national newspapers.
- Issue a perpetual injunction preventing Dikeh from performing similar acts on any Nigerian child.
- Award ₦200 million in damages to the child.
The case has sparked nationwide attention, reigniting debates on child protection, social media responsibility, and the limits of religious practices in Nigeria.
