Court Grants Doris Ogala N30m Bail in Cyberstalking Case

The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted actress Doris Ogala bail within the sum of ₦30 million over alleged cyberstalking and associated offences involving televangelist Pastor Chris Okafor.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Akintayo Aluko ordered the actress to offer two sureties in like sum, give up her worldwide passport to the court docket registrar, and chorus from making digital publications that would intimidate, harass, or affect prosecution witnesses.

The decide acknowledged that the court docket sought to steadiness Ogala’s constitutional proper to liberty with the necessity to shield witnesses and protect the integrity of the judicial course of. He famous considerations over her conduct throughout proceedings on October 28, 2026, when she allegedly disrupted court docket actions, resulting in the adjournment of a number of instances.

Despite these considerations, Justice Aluko emphasised that Ogala stays presumed harmless beneath the regulation and acknowledged her apology to the court docket for the incident.

As a part of the bail situations, the court docket directed Ogala to signal a recognisance enterprise to take care of good behaviour all through the trial. The decide additionally barred her from publishing on-line content material able to exposing prosecution witnesses to harassment, ridicule, threats, or intimidation.

The prosecution had opposed the bail utility, alleging that the actress beforehand failed to seem in court docket on well being grounds whereas allegedly collaborating in political actions and public occasions throughout the identical interval. Prosecutors additionally expressed considerations that she may use social media platforms to intervene with witnesses.

However, the defence argued that the costs have been bailable, insisting that Ogala wouldn’t abscond, intervene with witnesses, or commit additional offences if launched. Her attorneys maintained that her earlier absences have been as a consequence of well being challenges and requested bail to allow her put together for trial and proceed her political ambitions.

In granting the appliance, Justice Aluko reiterated that the first goal of bail is to make sure an accused particular person’s attendance in court docket and dominated that the pursuits of justice favoured her launch.

The court docket ordered that one of many sureties should both personal verifiable property in Lagos State or be a distinguished official of her political celebration or one other respected public determine. Both sureties should reside throughout the court docket’s jurisdiction, present proof of economic standing, and submit tax clearance certificates for the previous three years.

Ogala’s authorized counsel knowledgeable the court docket that she was absent from Friday’s proceedings as a result of she was receiving remedy at a normal hospital following a gynaecological surgical procedure.

The case is scheduled to proceed because the court docket begins listening to the substantive costs towards the actress.

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