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The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the remand of Nollywood actress Doris Ogala at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, accusing the police of weaponising the Cybercrimes Act to pursue cases involving influential individuals.
Ogala, the AAC governorship candidate in Abia State, was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday over alleged cyberstalking, cyberbullying and attempted extortion involving Pastor Chris Okafor.
Justice Akintayo Aluko ordered her remand pending the hearing of her bail application, which was adjourned until October 30, 2026.
Reacting in a Facebook post, Sowore questioned the decision to prosecute Ogala, arguing that the authorities should not turn private disputes into criminal cases.
“Once again, the Nigeria Police Force has deepened its weaponization of the Cybercrimes Act! What kind of society are we becoming? How could anyone be arraigned simply over allegations of having an affair with a pastor? And how could the police actually take such a matter before a Federal High Court judge?” he wrote.
Sowore also questioned the handling of the case by the police and the judiciary, alleging that the institutions could be used to settle personal disputes and protect influential religious figures.
“The Nigeria Police Force has no business turning private relationships into criminal prosecutions or deploying the Cybercrimes Act as a weapon of intimidation,” he added.
The AAC presidential candidate said Ogala was entitled to constitutional protection, due process and a fair hearing.
“The police must stop criminalizing private disputes, and the judiciary must never become an instrument of religious influence or personal vendettas. This abuse must end!” Sowore stated.
Ogala faces three charges filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. During Wednesday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel Tolulope Mokolu alleged that she published intimate photographs of Okafor without his consent between September 2024 and March 2026.
The prosecution also accused her of disseminating electronic messages allegedly containing false information and threatening further publications unless the cleric compensated her or bought her a house.
Ogala pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her lawyer, N. C. Atulomah, asked the court to grant her bail, assuring the judge that she would attend subsequent proceedings.
The prosecution opposed immediate bail, saying it needed time to study the application and file a response.
Justice Aluko ordered an accelerated hearing of the bail application but directed that Ogala remain in custody pending its determination.
The case is scheduled to resume on October 30, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
