LAGOS, Nigeria – An Ikeja High Court in Lagos State, south west Nigeria, has scheduled Wednesday, April 16, 2026, to deliver its ruling in a legal dispute filed by Nigerian pastor, Chris Okafor, against Nollywood actress Doris Ogala, social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, and commentator Kelvin Emmanuel.
The case is before the Ikeja High Court, a division of the High Court of Lagos State in Nigeria’s commercial capital. It is being presided over by Justice Akintunde Savage.
When the matter was heard on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, counsel to the claimant, Mr Ife Ajayi, informed the court that all the defendants had been properly served with court documents, in line with proof of service issued by the court’s Sheriff. He then requested more time to regularise certain preliminary processes in the suit.
In response, counsel to the first defendant, Mr Nzeakor Atulomah, drew the court’s attention to a notice of preliminary objection dated Thursday, January 29, 2026. He argued that the writ of summons filed by the claimant did not comply with Section 97 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, a Nigerian federal law that governs the service of court processes.
Atulomah urged the court to strike out the suit on that basis. He told the court, “The first defendant is not based in Lagos. The claimant even said that all the defendants are based in Abuja and not Lagos.”
According to him, the originating processes were served on the first defendant outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Lagos court, which he argued rendered the service incompetent under the law.
Ajayi, however, relied on a counter affidavit dated Monday, February 10, 2026, and asked the court for permission to amend the filed processes. He maintained that the claimant had issued a proper writ of summons in compliance with the law.
After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Savage adjourned the matter to Wednesday, April 16, 2026, for a ruling on the preliminary objections.
Earlier in the proceedings, on Sunday, February 2, 2026, the court granted permission for the notice of preliminary objection to be served on the defendants by electronic means.
The court had also, on Wednesday, January 22, 2026, issued an interim order restraining the defendants from further mentioning or referring to Okafor, his church, or his ministry on any platform pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The interim order followed an ex parte application brought under Order 43 Rules 1, 2 and 7 of the High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules 2019, which govern urgent applications made without the other party being present.
In that ruling, Justice Savage restrained the defendants, their agents or associates from publishing or releasing any alleged private materials, including chats, conversations, text messages, pictures, images or videos relating to the claimant.
The court also barred them from mentioning Okafor’s name, displaying his pictures, images or videos, as well as the name of his church, Grace Nation International, also known as Liberation City, whether orally or in writing, pending the resolution of the case.
In addition, the defendants were restrained from releasing to the public or third parties any material allegedly intended to blackmail or extort money from the claimant until the final determination of the suit.
The outcome of the April 16 ruling will determine whether the case proceeds to full hearing or is struck out at the preliminary stage. Okay News reports that the decision could clarify how Nigerian courts handle disputes involving public figures and online publications across different jurisdictions within the country.
