Abuja, March 12, 2026 – Nollywood actress and self-proclaimed evangelist Tonto Dikeh has been dragged to court over allegations of violating the rights of a junior secondary school student during a religious exorcism ritual.
Human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on behalf of a Junior Secondary School 1 student from Durumi II, Abuja, originally from Rivers State.
The suit seeks ₦200 million in damages, claiming that the child’s rights to dignity and privacy were breached.
According to court filings, the incident allegedly occurred on March 6, 2026, after Dikeh reportedly learned that the schoolgirl was believed to be “possessed by evil spirits,” a claim circulated on social media.
The actress allegedly decided to perform a religious deliverance on the student, which she documented in a video and photographs posted on her official Facebook page.
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In the footage, Dikeh is seen laying the girl on bare ground and pressing her against a stony surface. The affidavit described the act as “harassing, publicly shaming, and degrading” the child.
Obasi argued that the publication of the video and images violated the child’s right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act 2003.
He added that portraying the girl as demonically possessed could expose her to ridicule, discrimination, and psychological trauma among her peers.
The suit requests the court to:
Declare the exorcism ritual a violation of the child’s fundamental rights to dignity.
Confirm that harmful religious rites on children contravene fundamental rights.
Order Dikeh to remove the footage and images from all social media platforms and publish an unreserved apology in three national newspapers.
Restrain Dikeh from performing similar rituals on any Nigerian child.
Award ₦200 million in damages for the violation of the child’s rights.
As of this report, the case has yet to be assigned a hearing date.
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