Nollywood Actress, Tonto Dikeh Sued as Court Case Highlights Alleged Harm to Schoolgirl During Public Healing
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has been taken to court over allegations that she violated the rights of a Junior Secondary School 1 child from Durumi II, Abuja, during a public religious ritual. The suit, filed by human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeks ₦200 million in damages and asks the court to declare the alleged act a breach of the child’s fundamental rights to dignity and privacy.
According to the affidavit, the incident occurred on March 6, 2026, and was documented in photographs and a video posted on Dikeh’s official Facebook page. The footage reportedly shows the child laid on bare ground, pressed against a stony surface, while undergoing a religious exorcism. Obasi described the act as “vicious,” exposing the child to public humiliation, stigma, and likely psychological trauma.
The lawyer argued that publishing the images violated the child’s right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act 2003. Portraying the child as demonically possessed could subject them to ridicule, discrimination, and long-term social stigma among peers.
Beyond the monetary claim, child rights advocates emphasize that the case is about more than compensation. It underscores the urgent need to protect children from harmful practices carried out under the guise of spiritual healing. Allowing such acts to go unchallenged could set a dangerous precedent, where children’s identities, dignity, and psychological well-being are repeatedly violated in the name of religious or cultural rituals. A proper judicial hearing is therefore essential to safeguard the rights of all children and reinforce the principle that their welfare must take priority over any public display or ritual.
The suit requests that the video and images be removed from social media, that an unreserved apology be published in national newspapers, and that a permanent injunction be issued to prevent similar acts against any child in the future. While the court has yet to assign a hearing date, advocates stress that the case is pivotal for reinforcing children’s legal protections against public humiliation, psychological harm, and violations of privacy.
