Evangelist Helen Ukpabio, famous for her anti-witchcraft campaigns, and her daughter, Imaobong Elijah, have sued Nigerian singer Bloody Civilian for alleged defamation.
They are demanding N200 billion in damages and a public apology.
The lawsuit follows Bloody Civilian’s social media post on November 22, 2024, where she criticized Ukpabio on her 60th birthday.
The singer accused the evangelist of promoting practices that harmed children accused of witchcraft during the 1990s and also mentioned an alleged travel ban on Ukpabio in the UK.
Ukpabio and her daughter claim these statements have hurt their reputation and stirred negative reactions online. They insist that the singer’s comments wrongly linked Ukpabio to child abuse, leading to widespread backlash.
While some netizens urged Bloody Civilian to file a class-action lawsuit for the alleged victims, the singer has reacted to the lawsuit with humour.
In a tweet, she joked about taking extra jobs to raise funds for the fine. “Guys, they just sued me for 200 billion naira. This December, I’ll be adding weddings, naming ceremonies, stand-up comedy, and more to my services,” she wrote, playfully excluding events like burial ceremonies.
Her tweet sparked mixed reactions, with social media users sharing both jokes and serious opinions on the matter.
This lawsuit has also revived discussions about Helen Ukpabio’s past and the allegations against her. Many have called for deeper investigations into the claims surrounding her anti-witchcraft activities.
See post below:
Guys they just sued me for 200 billion naira. This December I will be adding the following to my services: pic.twitter.com/egenPKGb5z
— BLOODY CIVILIAN (@bloody__civ) November 23, 2024
See reactions from netizens below:
Crhedrys: “Can you kill a cow ? I might have a 15 days gig for you. We split profit. 70/30”
just_lawson__: “Which one be “no Benin people”? Be like u never ready to make money”
Rarelyyseen: “Naming Ceremony”
AlexVivyNnabue: “Please will you collect Father Christmas work too?”
ManLikeLight_: “You go run Christmas carol? I fit plug you”
Vicgidd: “Make I help you find gig, Kai 200 billion. Where we wan see am now? Chai.”
