Tonto Dikeh Slammed With ₦200M Lawsuit Over Deliverance Stunt Performed on Schoolgirl

A human rights lawyer, Ikechukwu Obasi, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, against Nollywood actress and evangelist Tonto Dikeh, accusing her of violating the fundamental rights of a female schoolgirl during what he described as a "vicious religious deliverance ritual."

The suit, filed pursuant to the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, was brought on behalf of a Junior Secondary School 1 student of JSS Durumi II, Abuja, originally from Rivers State. It seeks ₦200 million in damages for alleged violations of the child's rights to dignity and privacy.

The incident allegedly occurred on March 6, 2026, when a video and photographs posted on Dikeh's official Facebook page went viral. In the footage, the actress is seen speaking to the student before placing her hands on the girl and conducting what appears to be a deliverance session. According to Dikeh, she felt spiritually led to intervene after sensing what she described as a "spirit of death hovering around the child."

In the video, the child was laid on bare ground and pressed against a stony surface during the session, while Dikeh, who was wearing artificial fingernails, carried out the ritual. The clip has since spread widely across social media, drawing sharp reactions from Nigerians.

Read: Viral Video of Tonto Dikeh’s Deliverance on Schoolgirl from the Spirit of Death Sparks Legal Threat and Social Media Uproar Weeks After Discipleship Graduation

In the affidavit attached to the originating motion, Obasi argued that the alleged act constituted degrading treatment and exposed the child to public humiliation, stigma, and psychological trauma. "The actions of the Respondent did not just constitute degrading treatment of the school child but exposed her to contempt, public shame, and likely unspoken child trauma," the filing states.

The lawyer further argued that publishing the video and images on social media without consent violated the child's right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act 2003. He also contended that portraying the child as demonically possessed could subject her to ridicule and discrimination among her peers.

Beyond the ₦200 million in damages, the suit seeks a court declaration that the alleged ritual constitutes a violation of the child's constitutional rights to dignity.

It also requests an order compelling Dikeh to remove the video and images from all her social media platforms, publish an unreserved apology in three national newspapers, and face a perpetual injunction restraining her from carrying out similar religious rites on any Nigerian child.

The suit also asks the court to declare broadly that any form of child exorcism or harmful religious rite carried out under the guise of spiritual deliverance violates the fundamental rights of children in Nigeria.

Tonto Dikeh has not issued a public response to the suit at the time of publication. The case is expected to draw significant attention, given the actress's prominent public profile and the sensitive nature of the allegations involving a minor.

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