Police Release Nollywood Actress Doris Ogala After Re-Arrest as Pastor Chris Okafor Pleads for Peace

The Nigeria Police Force has released Nollywood actress Doris Ogala in Lagos following her re-arrest in Abuja shortly after she secured bail, SaharaReporters has learned.

Ogala was reportedly transferred to Lagos by operatives attached to the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, after her arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.

Sources said the situation became tense when her lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, attempted to document the police action. He was allegedly assaulted by officers, who confiscated his mobile phones before escorting both him and the actress on a flight to Lagos.
The actress later regained her freedom after a coordinator of the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Jamiu Towolawi, popularly known as Jharmo, stood as her surety and facilitated her bail.
Following her release, Pastor Chris Okafor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries, also known as Grace Nation Liberation City, was said to have met privately with Ogala and appealed for reconciliation.
A source familiar with the development told SaharaReporters that Towolawi arrived at the Zone 2 Command on Monday and insisted on Ogala’s immediate release.
“Pastor Chris Okafor, who was at the centre of the controversy and arrest, later arrived at Onikan and pleaded with her to allow peace to prevail,” the source said. “It was clear the arrest was intended to intimidate her, but when it became obvious she would not relent, the pastor went on his knees and begged.”
According to the source, Okafor spent nearly an hour in a closed-door meeting with the actress at a secluded location, without the presence of third parties.
“After the meeting, the police released her on ‘health grounds,’ with Jharmo standing as surety,” the source added.
The police also returned the two mobile phones earlier seized from Ogala and her lawyer. Officers reportedly requested that a video of the arrest be deleted, citing their inability to access the devices. However, the condition was rejected by the TIB coordinator, after which Ogala was allowed to leave without further demands.
Background
Ogala’s arrest followed a public and highly controversial dispute with Pastor Okafor over an alleged broken promise to marry her.
On Saturday, the actress was arrested while granting a live-streamed interview. The incident unfolded on air when the interviewer suddenly asked, “The police are in your house?” to which Ogala responded, “Yes, the police are in my house.”
Days earlier, Ogala had accused Pastor Okafor of reneging on a marriage commitment. On Friday, she shared — and later deleted — a post allegedly showing the cleric in a private bedroom, topless and wrapped in a towel. She claimed the image was taken shortly after sexual intercourse and warned that she would release the full video.
Last week, Ogala, through her lawyers, Synergy Law Partners, issued a formal demand letter dated December 16, 2025, seeking ₦1 billion in aggravated damages from the pastor.
The letter accused Okafor of breaching a “clear, consistent and unequivocal” promise to marry her — a commitment her legal team said formed the basis of a relationship that allegedly began in 2017. The lawyers warned that legal action would commence if the cleric failed to meet the demands within 21 days.