A Lagos State High Court has ordered Canadian-based singer Stephanie Otobo to pay ₦100 million in damages to Johnson Suleman, founder of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, in a long-running defamation case.
Delivering judgment, Justice Olubunmi Abike Fadipe ruled that Otobo’s allegations against the cleric were defamatory and had caused reputational harm.
The legal dispute dates back to 2017, when Otobo accused Suleman of engaging in a sexual relationship with her, alleging that he impregnated her and later gave her a substance to terminate the pregnancy. She also claimed he promised to marry her.
Suleman denied the allegations and subsequently took legal action, which led to Otobo’s arrest and arraignment.
Although Otobo later retracted her claims, stating that she had been “heavily paid” by some politicians and religious figures to blackmail the pastor, the matter continued in court.
Court records showed that she was served legal summons in 2022 but failed to respond and also did not appear for hearings scheduled in 2023.
When proceedings began in 2025, the court found that Suleman had proven his case and was entitled to damages for harm to his reputation. The court, however, reduced his claim from ₦500 million to ₦100 million.
In addition to the monetary award, the court ordered Otobo to publish a public apology on her social media platforms and in two national newspapers for seven consecutive days.
The judgment also restrains her, her agents, or associates from making any further defamatory statements against Suleman.
The court described the award as “aggravated damages,” concluding that the claimant had successfully established his case.