Cyberbullying: Doris Ogala Kneels Before Judge, Seeks Forgiveness

Nollywood actress Doris Ogala on Friday knelt before a Federal High Court judge in Lagos, pleading for forgiveness over her disruptive behaviour during the previous court sitting as she sought bail on liberal terms in her alleged cyberbullying case….

Nollywood actress Doris Ogala on Friday knelt before a Federal High Court judge in Lagos, pleading for forgiveness over her disruptive behaviour during the previous court sitting as she sought bail on liberal terms in her alleged cyberbullying case.

Ogala appealed to Justice Akintayo Aluko, expressing remorse over her outburst on Wednesday, which disrupted proceedings in several other cases before the court.

Her lead counsel, Marshall Abubakar, also urged the court to grant her bail on the most liberal conditions or on self-recognisance, arguing that she was a public figure and should be allowed to continue her activities while defending herself against the charges.

The lawyer also noted that Ogala was allegedly contesting the Abia State governorship election scheduled for January 2027.

Abubakar reminded the court that his client was presumed innocent until proven guilty, regardless of the seriousness of the allegations against her.

He further argued that she had previously been granted administrative bail during the Federal Government’s investigation and should not be subjected to unnecessarily stringent bail conditions.

However, the prosecution counsel, Tolulope Mokolu, urged the court to dismiss the application or impose stringent conditions if bail was granted.

Mokolu cited Ogala’s conduct inside and outside the courtroom, as well as her activities on social media, arguing that they could negatively affect prosecution witnesses and interfere with the case.

Justice Aluko strongly criticised the actress over her conduct during Wednesday’s proceedings, saying her outburst disrupted hearings in about seven other matters, including pre-election cases, and forced him to leave the courtroom.

The judge described the incident as a serious affront to the court, expressing disappointment that Ogala had disrupted proceedings after the charge against her was read and her bail application adjourned.

He said: “The news is all over. Simply because a charge was read and an application for bail was adjourned. On my own, I ordered accelerated hearing, and she compensated the court with chaos.”

The judge further described her conduct as potentially more serious than the offences she was accused of committing, particularly her singing in open court and disturbing other proceedings.

He also criticised Ogala’s lawyers for failing to properly advise her on courtroom conduct, saying they had shirked their responsibility.

However, Abubakar appealed to the judge to forgive his client, insisting that her behaviour was not consistent with her character.

Justice Aluko subsequently adjourned the case until November 6, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application.

Ogala was arraigned on Wednesday on a three-count charge bordering on alleged cyberbullying and cyberstalking.

The actress was accused of publishing and circulating videos, recordings and electronic messages containing allegedly false information about the founder of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, popularly known as Liberation City, Pastor Chris Okafor.

She was also accused of bullying, threatening, intimidating and harassing the cleric through her social media platforms.

The allegations are yet to be established in court.

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