Nollywood actress and African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate for Abia State, Doris Ogala, knelt before a Federal High Court judge in Lagos on Friday and apologised for her behaviour during an earlier court sitting.
Ogala appealed to Justice Akintayo Aluko, expressing remorse over an outburst on Wednesday that disrupted proceedings and prevented the court from attending to other cases scheduled for the day.
The actress appeared before the court as her bail application came up for hearing following her arraignment and remand at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
During Friday’s proceedings, Justice Aluko expressed displeasure over her conduct at the previous sitting, recalling that she had shouted and sung in the courtroom, forcing the court to suspend proceedings.
The judge said her behaviour prevented the court from hearing more than seven other cases listed for that day.
He also disclosed that he had considered committing her for contempt but decided against it, despite believing that her conduct warranted punishment.
According to reports from the proceedings, Ogala responded by personally apologising to the judge and promising not to repeat her actions.
“I am very sorry, my Lord. I apologise for my bad behaviour. I have never been to prison before and I wasn’t expecting that I would do that,” she told the court.
“I regret my actions and I apologise to my Lord. I tender my apologies wholeheartedly. Sorry, this will never happen again going forward,” she added.
Her lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, also apologised to the judge, describing the incident as regrettable and assuring the court that such behaviour was not consistent with his client’s character.
The judge also criticised the defence counsel for failing to acknowledge the previous courtroom disruption and explain his client’s conduct before proceeding with the bail application.
After the apologies, the court proceeded to hear arguments on whether Ogala should be granted bail.
Abubakar urged the court to release his client on liberal bail conditions, arguing that the prosecution’s submissions suggested it was not opposed to her release but was concerned about the conditions attached to it.
He maintained that any conditions imposed should be reasonable and should not unnecessarily restrict her liberty while the case was pending.
However, prosecution counsel, Tolulope Mokolu, urged the court to impose stringent conditions, citing concerns that Ogala’s social media activities could influence witnesses or interfere with the proceedings.
The prosecution asked the court to restrict her contact with witnesses and prevent her from publishing material capable of affecting the trial.
After listening to both parties, Justice Aluko reserved his ruling on the bail application until November 6, 2026.
Ogala was subsequently returned to the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the court’s decision.
The actress was arraigned on Wednesday on three counts bordering on alleged cyberstalking, cyberbullying and attempted extortion involving Pastor Chris Okafor.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges, which the prosecution alleged were committed between September 2024 and March 2026.
The allegations against her remain before the court and have yet to be established.
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