• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

A Nigerian human rights lawyer, Ikechukwu Obasi, has threatened legal action against Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh over a viral video allegedly showing her conducting a deliverance session on a school child, describing the act as abusive and degrading. Obasi made the threat in a statement released on Friday, where he condemned what he called a "primitive, nasty and reckless display," insisting that the act amounted to child exorcism and a violation of the minor's rights and dignity. According to him, the video circulating online showed the actress performing a deliverance ritual during which the child was laid on bare ground while she pressed the child against the stony surface during the exercise. He said the incident was disturbing, particularly in modern-day Nigeria, expressing concern that a public figure who claims to be a born-again Christian could subject a child to what he described as degrading treatment under the guise of religious deliverance. "The sight of the display is even vicious to behold in the 21st century," Obasi said. "It is disheartening that in this contemporary Nigeria, a Nollywood actress who claims to be a repented Christian could subject an innocent child to such untoward, abusive and degrading treatment under the guise of religious deliverance." The lawyer further noted that the setting of the exercise exposed the child to dust during the harmattan season, warning that such conditions could potentially lead to respiratory issues such as catarrh or other airborne infections. "The innocent and harmless child laid on a bare ground as Tonto continued the vicious exercise she claimed to be a deliverance, pressing the child against the stony ground, emitting hazardous dust in this harmattan season, which may likely infect the child with catarrh or any other air-borne disease," he added. "Deliverance from what exactly?" Obasi queried. Citing legal provisions, the lawyer argued that the alleged act violated the child's right to dignity as guaranteed under the Child Rights Act 2003 and Section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution. He explained that the Child Rights Act protects every child from physical, mental or emotional abuse, neglect, maltreatment, torture and degrading treatment, as well as attacks on their honour or reputation. According to him, the treatment allegedly meted out to the child amounted to maltreatment and an assault on the child's dignity. "Obviously, what was meted out to that innocent and harmless child did not only constitute maltreatment, degrading treatment, physical, mental or emotional abuse, it is also an attack on the honour or reputation of the child," he said. While acknowledging that Nigerians have a constitutional right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Obasi stressed that such rights are not absolute and should not be used to justify practices that could harm children. He therefore called on Tonto Dikeh and others involved to immediately stop such practices and apologise. "I am therefore calling on the actress, Tonto Dikeh, and all her cohorts to cease and desist forthwith from further acts of child exorcism and abusive religious practices on any Nigerian child, as such conducts constitute child abuse, assault and battery. "She should also tender an unreserved apology to that child and all Nigerian children because an injury to one is an injury to all within 72 hours or face appropriate legal action." Obasi also urged organisations including UNICEF and the National Human Rights Commission, as well as other child rights groups within and outside Nigeria, to investigate the matter and ensure that minors are not subjected to what he described as abusive religious practices. Source: https://osundefender.com/lawyer-threatens-legal-action-against-tonto-dikeh-over-child-deliverance-video/