Pastor Chris Okafor threatens legal action over death claims

Mr Ife Ajayi, a lawyer to the founder of Grace Nation International Church, Dr Chris Okafor, has threatened legal action against bloggers, content creators and social media users accused of circulating allegedly false and damaging publications about the cleric.

 Ajayi, in a cease-and-desist notice dated November 11, 2026, accused some individuals of engaging in what he described as repeated, sponsored and coordinated attempts to damage his client’s reputation through misleading narratives across various media and social media platforms.

 He warned those involved to stop publishing, reposting or circulating unverified allegations against Okafor, stressing that his client reserved the right to seek redress through civil or criminal proceedings against anyone found culpable.

 The lawyer stated that freedom of expression did not shield individuals from civil or criminal liability for deliberately publishing false information about others.

 He urged anyone seeking clarification on issues concerning the cleric to contact him or Okafor’s management for accurate information.

 In a separate cease-and-desist and pre-action notice addressed to a Facebook user identified as ‘Princewill of NewsMattazz with Princewill’, Ajayi demanded N500m in damages over a publication allegedly linking Okafor to the death of a businessman, Mr Solomon Iwerebor.

 The notice followed a post published on November 10, which the lawyer alleged contained defamatory statements suggesting that the cleric was connected to the deceased’s death.

 Ajayi demanded the immediate deletion of the publication, a public written retraction and an apology, giving the Facebook user 48 hours from receipt of the notice to comply.

 Among the statements specifically challenged in the notice were “Solomon has been spending money in Chris Okafor’s church for spiritual intervention” and “If you get a problem with Chris Okafor and the matter reaches the Zone 2 police station, he won’t win.”

 The lawyer also faulted other statements suggesting that the church was associated with negative incidents and that the deceased’s children wanted Okafor and his wife questioned over their father’s death.

 Describing the allegations as false and malicious, Ajayi insisted that neither Okafor nor his church had been linked to any police investigation concerning Iwerebor’s death.

 He explained that the deceased was an extended relative of Okafor’s wife and had reportedly been seriously ill for years before the cleric met and married her.

 According to the lawyer, disagreements later arose among Iwerebor’s surviving siblings over his burial arrangements, particularly his wish to be buried in Lagos rather than in his village.

 He said the disagreement prompted one faction of the family to petition another, adding that the family dispute had been wrongly linked to his client.

 Ajayi also denied that Okafor’s church received money for spiritual intervention connected with the deceased’s death.

 The lawyer maintained that the publications were damaging to his client’s reputation and insisted that those responsible should withdraw the allegations and refrain from further circulation.