Stephanie Otobo defamation case ends as Lagos court orders N100m damages payment to Apostle Johnson Suleman over false allegations
The Lagos State High Court has ordered Canada-based singer Stephanie Otobo to pay N100 million in damages to the founder of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, in a landmark ruling over a prolonged defamation dispute.
Justice Olubunmi Fadipe delivered the judgment after years of legal proceedings stemming from allegations first made in 2017, when Stephanie Otobo accused Apostle Johnson Suleman of having a sexual relationship with her and allegedly impregnating her before giving her substances to terminate the pregnancy.
Apostle Johnson Suleman consistently denied the allegations and subsequently initiated legal action, setting the stage for a lengthy and highly publicised court battle that drew widespread attention.
In court documents dated May 5, 2026, Apostle Johnson Suleman sought an injunction compelling Stephanie Otobo to retract her statements, alongside a demand for N500 million in damages and a public apology in national newspapers.
Court records indicated that Stephanie Otobo was duly served with summons in November 2022 but failed to respond and was absent at subsequent hearings, including the December 2023 session that fixed the trial date.
Proceedings formally commenced in February 2025, during which the court found that the cleric had suffered reputational harm as a result of the allegations.
Justice Olubunmi Fadipe ruled that while Apostle Johnson Suleman was entitled to compensation, the original claim of N500 million was reduced, with the court awarding N100 million in aggravated damages.
“The claim succeeds, and judgment is entered for the claimant,” the court stated, ordering the defendant to publish a full page apology across online platforms used to disseminate the allegations, as well as in The Punch and Sunday Sun newspapers for seven consecutive publications.
The court further restrained Stephanie Otobo, her agents and associates from making any further defamatory statements against Apostle Johnson Suleman, describing the ruling as necessary to prevent continued reputational harm.
The case, which first gained national attention in 2017, briefly resurfaced in 2022 when Stephanie Otobo shared images online linked to the controversy, reigniting public debate.
She was previously arraigned before a Lagos magistrate court on separate charges including blackmail and attempted extortion, which she denied.
The judgment marks a decisive and significant conclusion to one of Nigeria’s most widely followed defamation disputes in recent years.
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