US-Based Nigerian Prophetess Sues Actress, Doris Ogala Over Alleged Defamation, Demands N1billon Compensation

Prophetess Happy Omotowhe Edema, a female cleric, has filed a lawsuit against Doris Ogala, a Nigerian actress.

The cleric is suing Doris Ogala for alleged defamation.

In a suit filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, Edema is demanding N1billion as aggravated and exemplary damages for alleged libel from the defendant.

She also accused the actress of sharing doctored nudes videos of hers after she pulled out of a case involving one Ruth Matthew, who had accused the founder of Christ Mercy Land Church in Warri, Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, of kidnapping her child.

Matthew had in 2022 attracted sympathies and attention after alleging that her child went missing at the Christ MercyLand Church in Warri, adding that the owner of the church, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin had a hand in the child’s disappearance.

The court document read, “The plaintiff in that regard concentrated on her Facebook online ministration and at some instance made mention of the Ruth Matthew story and the unreliability of narratives on the missing baby testimony story, without in anyway talking and commenting about the character of defendant, who at every different instance in the unfolding stages of this case, brought a lot of contradictions and twists in the search to find this missing baby testimony.

“However what then followed, was a defamatory voice note send vide Whatsapp to the plaintiff phone by defendant and also sent by the defendant to a certain blogger with name as Chantel Adebayo Isikhueme, wherein the above defendant alongside the blogger in the course of her daily Facebook broadcasts on Chantel Kev TV, the defendant voice note defaming the plaintiff character in this regards was played to the hearing of more than fifty persons watching.

“That the defendant defamatory Facebook broadcasting pictures, and the defendant voice note of the above Facebook video and the defendant voice note above was uploaded in flash drive and cd room and shall be tendered at hearing of this case, which is herein pleaded.

“That the defendant voice note was played on the 7th January 2023 on the Facebook page of a blogger with name as Chantel Adebayo Isikhueme on kev Facebook broadcast and was listened to and heard by more than fifty person and the plaintiff friends, lawyer and family members and this Facebook broadcast further lowered the reputation and destroyed the mind of aforementioned persons who are all close to the plaintiff, who now avoid plaintiff and think lowly of the plaintiff, that she is corrupt, a fraudster and very untrusted person scamming innocent persons of the society with her involvement in this Ruth Matthew.

“That before this time, the defendant have been also involved in series of defamatory comments and blackmail against the plaintiff, plaintiff’s close friends and relatives. That the defamatory comments were made on the plaintiff’s Facebook official page with name as Happiness Ministries International by the defendant using different Facebook names like: De mma, OKEZUO ABIA DAVAS and DORIS OGALA in continuously defaming, blackmailing and lowering the reputation of the plaintiff.

“Moreso the defendant displayed the above fake and doctored naked video on the plaintiff’s Facebook page. Also the defendant vie WhatsApp message with Nigeria phone number with 09077460711 also sent pseudo messages to plaintiff and seen by the plaintiff’s friends and workers, sharing fake plaintiff doctored nudes and continuously defaming the plaintiff, by calling her all manner of names and herein lowering the reputation of the plaintiff in the eyes of every one who saw this message, and by implication making the plaintiff to like an invalid and dishonest, corruptible personality to everyone who saw these messages.

“That all these defamatory acts, actions, blackmail and defamatory comments including both libel and slanderous talks by the defendant has caused the plaintiff irreparable damages and lower the plaintiff esteem before the eyes of all and every person in the society and hence this suit by the plaintiff against the defendant and her proxies.

“WHEREOF THE PLAINTIFF CLAIM AGAINST THE DEFENDANT AS FOLLOWS

“A. The sum of one billion naira only being general and aggravated damages separately against the Defendant. B. An order of the honorable court for an apology and well worded retraction by the defendant to be published in a similarly conspicuous manner in any trending Facebook, digital and online broadcasting channel alongside a Nigeria local newspaper as may be determined by the court and within such time after the judgement as honorable court may direct.

“C. An order of perpetual Injunction restraining the defendant from howsoever publishing, broadcasting through any means including online and onsite defamatory contents, words and comments against the plaintiff in whatever form.

“A Further order restraining the defendant, her agents, proxies or any persons connected with the defendant online howsoever from publishing, broadcasting through any means including online and onsite defamatory contents, words and comments against the Plaintiff in whatever form.”