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 self-proclaimed evangelist, Tonto Dikeh. The suit accuses her of vi%lating the rights of a female school child during what is described as a “vicious religious deliverance rit¥al.”
The case, filed under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, seeks several declarations and orders against Dikeh, including ₦200 million in d@mages for alleged violations of the child’s rights to dignity and privacy. The minor, a Junior Secondary School 1 student from Rivers State attending school in Abuja, is represented by Obasi.
According to the affidavit, the incident reportedly occurred on March 6, 2026, after the lawyer came across viral photos and a video on Dikeh’s official Facebook page. In the footage, the actress allegedly performed a religious exorcism on the schoolgirl, during which the child was laid on bare ground and pressed against a stony surface.
Obasi argued that the act subjected the child to degrading treatment, public hum+liation, and potential psychological tra¥ma. He also said the online publication of the images and video vi%lated the child’s right to privacy under the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act 2003, potentially exposing her to rid+cule and discrimination.
Obasi further requested ₦200 million in d@mages, citing the stigma the child has faced since the incident. As of now, the case has not been assigned a hearing date by the High Court.
