Actress Uche Elendu has publicly defended her colleague Tonto Dikeh amid mounting criticism and a N200 million lawsuit following the viral roadside deliverance video involving a schoolgirl.
Elendu clarified the sequence of events in a statement that has circulated widely.
“It was the girl that approached her requesting prayers. Tonto didn’t force her to fall, it was the anointing.”
She added context about the encounter: Dikeh was still in her car when the girl and her friends came to her, sharing a disturbing dream about bats. Dikeh then alighted from the vehicle to complete the prayer session after the girl began shaking under what was described as the power of the Holy Spirit.
The video in question, which formed part of Dikeh’s documented school outreach, has been at the centre of the controversy since early March 2026. Obasi’s lawsuit accuses Dikeh of violating the child’s rights by filming and sharing the moment where the girl was laid on bare ground and pressed against a stony surface during the intense prayer.
Uche Elendu’s defence highlights the voluntary nature of the interaction and frames the criticism as overlooking the context of the moment.