Pastor Chris Okafor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries, also known as Grace Nation Liberation City, has publicly apologised to Nollywood actress Doris Ogala following days of controversy that culminated in her arrest and subsequent release by the Nigeria Police.
Okafor issued the apology during a livestream uploaded by DavePlayBlogger on Sunday where he acknowledged wrongdoing while disputing several allegations made against him.
While apologising, Okafor maintained that the accusations levelled against him were false.
“But everything that was said is not true. Everything, take note, everything that was said was never true. There are so many lies in most of the things that were said,” he stated.
Despite this, the pastor directly addressed Ogala and others he said he had offended.
“But be it. I say I am sorry to everyone I have offended. To Doris Ogala, I also say sorry,” Okafor said.
He added that he was prepared to make amends.
“And I apologize to everyone that I have offended. And once again, I repeat this. I’m ready to make restitution to anyone,” he said.
The cleric went further to describe his apology as both personal and public.
“And anybody, any lady, anywhere, or man I have offended, I am sorry. Forgive me. I am not perfect. I’ve never been perfect,” he said, adding, “I’m kneeling down before everyone. And before the church.”
The apology comes against the backdrop of Ogala’s dramatic arrest and release, which SaharaReporters previously reported.
The actress was recently rearrested in Abuja shortly after being granted bail and was later flown to Lagos by officers from the Zone 2 Command.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the incident escalated when Ogala’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, attempted to record police actions, leading to an alleged assault on him and the seizure of his phones.
Following intervention by a Take It Back Movement coordinator, Jamiu Towolawi, also known as Jharmo, Ogala was released in Lagos last Monday.
SaharaReporters learned that Okafor later met with the actress at the Zone 2 Command in Onikan, where he appealed for peace and reconciliation.
A source had told SaharaReporters that the pastor “fell flat on his knees and begged” Ogala during a closed-door meeting that lasted nearly an hour, after which the police released her on “health grounds,” with Towolawi serving as surety.
The dispute between Ogala and Okafor began after the actress accused the cleric of breaching an alleged promise to marry her.
Through her lawyers, Synergy Law Partners, Ogala demanded N1billion in damages, citing emotional distress, reputational harm and financial loss.
She had alleged that the relationship, which reportedly began in 2017, involved assurances of marriage, introductions to family members and significant financial transactions, including a N45 million transfer.
