The legal battle surrounding popular TikToker Olumide John Ogunsanwo, popularly known as Seaking, has taken a new turn as his legal team threatens to sue Pastor Enoch Adeboye and the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) if they fail to retract their recent press statement within 24 hours.
Seaking was rearrested on February 6, 2025, after his court appearance at the Magistrate Court, Ogba, Lagos, and subsequently transferred to Abuja by the Cybercrimes Unit of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID). However, he has now been released on administrative bail, thanks to the intervention of activist Omoyele Sowore and a team of lawyers, including Marshal Abubakar, Tope Temokun, and Deji Adeyanju.
The controversy deepened when the RCCG’s Public Relations Unit issued a statement distancing Pastor Adeboye from the petition that led to Seaking’s arrest but also suggesting that the law should take its course. According to Seaking’s legal team, this statement indirectly associates Pastor Adeboye with the case, despite the petition being filed by a group called Concerned Christian Youth Forum, allegedly on behalf of “Fathers of Faith.”
Lead counsel Inibehe Effiong argues that claims of cyberstalking and defamation cannot be pursued through proxies, emphasizing that vulgar insults are not criminal offenses in Nigeria. He further asserts that Seaking’s fundamental rights have already been violated due to his prolonged detention beyond the constitutional time limit.
With the RCCG’s statement now in play, the legal team warns that Pastor Adeboye could be summoned to court to testify and be cross-examined if the matter proceeds. They demand a public retraction from RCCG within 24 hours or risk being added as defendants in a fundamental rights enforcement suit.
“The pulpit should not be a place for political vendettas,” Effiong stated. “Pastors should lead by example, not by weaponizing law enforcement to silence critics.”
As tensions rise, all eyes are now on RCCG and Pastor Adeboye’s next move. Will they issue a retraction, or will this case escalate into a legal showdown?
