Nollywood actress Doris Ogala went down on her knees before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, and apologised for the scene she caused at her arraignment, as the judge put off his decision on her bail request until November 6, 2026.
Ogala, who Blueprint describes as the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate for Abia State, is standing trial on a three-count charge of alleged cyberstalking, cyberbullying and attempted extortion. The complainant in the case is Chris Okafor, the well-known Pentecostal preacher who serves as Senior Pastor of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry. She has pleaded not guilty.
The apology
When proceedings resumed, the actress told the judge she was deeply sorry for disrupting the court. Her words, as reported by both Tribune Online and Blueprint, were: "I am very sorry, my Lord. I apologise for my bad behaviour. I have never been to prison before, and I wasn't expecting that I would do that."
She went on: "I regret my action, and I apologise to my Lord. I tender my apologies wholeheartedly. Sorry, this will never happen again going forward."
The two newspapers differ on the day of this sitting. Tribune Online placed it on a Friday, while Blueprint said Ogala expressed her remorse on Monday. Both agree that her arraignment, and the outburst that followed it, took place on Wednesday, which Blueprint dates to October 28, 2026.
What happened at the arraignment
According to Tribune Online, Ogala reportedly shouted and sang in open court shortly after she was ordered remanded, and the disruption forced the judge to rise. Courtroom accounts cited by the paper say she shouted: "This is Nigeria; they want to use the government to oppress me. My boyfriend is using the government and the court to oppress me. This cannot happen. Chris Okafor is my boyfriend."
Her claim about a relationship with the cleric is her own assertion made during the outburst; it has not been independently confirmed, and the sources carry no response from Pastor Okafor on it.
Judge: 'I kept my cool'
Justice Aluko was not amused. Before taking the bail application, he said Ogala's behaviour stopped the court from attending to other matters on its list. Tribune Online put the number at more than seven cases, while Blueprint reported seven. The judge said he chose not to commit her for contempt even though he felt provoked.
"She should have been given some form of imprisonment, right, on that day, but I kept my cool, and I rose," the judge said, according to Tribune Online.
He continued: "Why do you have to start shouting and start singing in the open court? You conducted yourself in a manner that forced the court to rise." He added that such conduct could have earned her a minimum of two months behind bars.
