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Doris Ogala Gets N30m Bail in Alleged Cyberstalking Case Against Pastor Chris Okafor
Doris Ogala Gets N30m Bail in Alleged Cyberstalking Case Against Pastor Chris Okafor
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday granted actress Doris Ogala bail in the sum of N30 million, with two sureties in like sum, over allegations of cyberstalking and cyberbullying involving a Pentecostal clergyman, Pastor Chris Okafor.
One of the two sureties must be a landed property owner in Lagos State, a prominent member of her political party or a respected cleric, while the second surety must be a top civil servant not below Grade Level 14 in the Federal or Lagos State public service.
The presiding judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, also ordered Ogala to surrender her international passport to the court registrar and restrained her from making electronic publications capable of intimidating or harassing prosecution witnesses. In addition, the court ordered the defendant to maintain good behaviour during the pendency of the trial.
In his ruling, the judge said he was mindful of the need to balance the defendant’s constitutional right to liberty with the responsibility of protecting witnesses and preserving the integrity of the trial.
He said, “I have taken all of the above into account in a bid to attach conditions that will guarantee or ensure the defendant’s attendance in court for her trial, and the need to protect the witnesses of the prosecution from harassment, threat or intimidation.”
Justice Aluko expressed concern over the defendant’s alleged conduct during proceedings on October 28, 2026, which he said disrupted the court’s sitting and forced an emergency adjournment of ten cases.
He said, “By her misconduct and conduct in the open court, when she disrupted proceedings and caused a series of adjournments without any justification on the 28th of October, 2026, the defendant well exposed herself as a person capable of fomenting trouble when she is outside the courtroom.”
The judge, however, acknowledged that the defendant had apologised to the court for her conduct.
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He said, “That notwithstanding, the defendant is still presumed innocent by the provision of the Constitution.”
The judge also considered the prosecution’s concerns that Ogala could use her social media accounts and public online platforms to intimidate or harass witnesses.
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He said, “Any unwarranted electronic publication capable of exposing the prosecuting witnesses to public harassment, ridicule, threat or intimidation, which is equally capable of exposing the proceedings of the court to ridicule and distortion, is accordingly restrained and disallowed.”
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Justice Aluko further ordered Ogala to enter into a recognisance on oath to maintain good behaviour and refrain from misconduct in the courtroom or its premises throughout the trial.
The defendant had sought bail in an application dated October 26 and filed on October 27, 2026, pursuant to Sections 35(5) of the Constitution and Sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
In opposing the application, the prosecution alleged that Ogala deliberately failed to attend previous proceedings on April 23 and June 9, 2026, claiming ill health.
It presented pictorial evidence which it said showed the defendant participating in political activities, public gatherings, campaigns and protests during the period she claimed to be ill.
The prosecution also argued that the allegations against her involved the use of social media to publish and disseminate electronic materials forming part of its evidence, raising concerns about possible interference with witnesses.
Initially, when the case was called, Doris Ogala was absent. However, her lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, told the court that the defendant was currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Ajegunle following gynaecological surgery, which had resulted in bleeding.
Ogala is facing a four-count charge filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
The prosecution alleged that between September 2024 and March 2026, the actress unlawfully published intimate photographs of Pastor Okafor without his consent, circulated allegedly false and damaging allegations against him, and used electronic communications to bully, threaten and harass the cleric.
She was also accused of attempting to extort property from the pastor by allegedly threatening to continue publishing intimate and menacing materials unless he compensated her or bought her a house.
The prosecution maintained that the alleged conduct was intended to damage the cleric’s reputation and expose him to public hatred, ridicule and opprobrium.
Cyberstalking,Doris Ogala,Federal High Court Lagos,Pastor Chris Okafor
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