Nollywood actress and evangelist Tonto Dikeh is facing a ₦200 million lawsuit after a video showing her performing a deliverance session on a schoolgirl went viral.
Human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi filed the suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, accusing Dikeh of violating the fundamental rights of a Junior Secondary School 1 student from JSS Durumi II, Abuja, who hails from Rivers State.
The suit was filed under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and seeks ₦200 million in damages for alleged breaches of the child’s dignity and privacy. 
The incident took place on March 6 2026, when Dikeh posted the video and photos on her official Facebook page.
In the footage, she speaks to the student before placing her hands on the girl and performing what appears to be a deliverance ritual. During the session, the child was laid on bare ground and pressed against a stony surface while Dikeh performed the ritual wearing artificial fingernails.
The video spread rapidly across social media, sparking intense reactions from Nigerians. Many questioned the appropriateness of performing such religious interventions on minors, while others debated the boundaries between faith practices and child protection.
The lawsuit demands that the court recognise the violation of the child’s rights, remove the video and related images from all platforms, and issue a public apology from Dikeh. It also seeks a perpetual injunction to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This case continues to attract widespread attention, the ongoing conversation is the need to protect children while balancing religious freedom.
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