Maxwell Okpara, counsel to Senior Pastor of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries, Dr. Chris Okafor, has issued a formal warning to self-acclaimed activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and a young woman identified as Miss Chi, over alleged cyber harassment and defamation against his client.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Okpara accused the duo of engaging in cyber bullying, harassment, stalking and the spread of false and malicious claims against Pastor Okafor, particularly allegations that the cleric abandoned a biological daughter.
The lawyer demanded the immediate cessation of all online attacks and the retraction of what he described as defamatory statements. He also called for a public apology to be published in two national newspapers, the removal of all online content linking Pastor Okafor to claims of paternity or abandonment, and an end to any representation or implication of a familial relationship with the cleric.
Okpara further challenged the young woman and her sibling to submit to a DNA test at a mutually agreed reputable facility, insisting that previous claims of a DNA certificate should be substantiated.
According to the lawyer, Pastor Okafor categorically denies that Miss Chi is his biological daughter, describing the claims as false, misleading and injurious to his reputation and ministry. He alleged that VeryDarkMan published and amplified the claims on social media without verifying the facts or seeking Pastor Okafor’s response.
Okpara recounted events surrounding Pastor Okafor’s past relationship with the woman claiming to be the mother of the children, stating that a DNA test later revealed that the children were not biologically his. He said the test results are in the possession of the children’s mother and challenged her to make them public.
The counsel added that although Pastor Okafor allegedly continued to support the children’s education and welfare on humanitarian grounds, such assistance should not be interpreted as an admission of paternity.
He warned that failure to comply with the stated demands would leave his client with no option but to pursue all available legal remedies to protect his reputation, integrity and ministry.
Okpara said the press briefing was necessary to set the record straight and prevent the further spread of what he described as falsehoods and malicious narratives against Pastor Okafor.
Full Statement by Dr. Chris Okafor’s Counsel:
“Gentlemen of the Press,
We are counsel to Pastor Dr. Chris Okafor, hereinafter referred to as Our Client, on whose instructions and authority we issue this press briefing in conjunction with concerned members of civil society groups.
It has come to our notice, as well as to public attention, that acts of cyber incitement, cyber bullying, cyber harassment, cyber stalking, criminal defamation, and malicious impersonation have been perpetrated against our Client by Martins Vincent Otse (popularly known as VeryDarkMan) and a young lady who introduced herself as Miss Chi.
You may recall that earlier acts of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and the publication of scandalous and libellous articles and comments against our Client were initiated by one Ms. Doris Ogala and her cohorts. However, our focus in this briefing is not on her laughable and gold-digging narrative, which was calculated to exploit our Client through cheap blackmail, especially in view of the ongoing investigations and interventions by various law enforcement agencies. We respectfully allow the wheels of justice to take their full course in that regard.
It is, however, worrisome that while the foregoing matters remain inconclusive and under investigation, a fresh wave of disturbing and disparaging stories has emerged, once again setting the social media space agog and maliciously targeting the personality of our Client.
We have become aware that an individual who identifies herself as Ms. Chi Okafor has been presenting herself online as the biological daughter of our Client, Pastor Dr. Chris Okafor. She has been making false, misleading, and defamatory claims regarding his personal life and family relationships, including allegations of abandonment and neglect of paternal responsibilities.
Ordinarily, our Client would not have joined issues or responded to the antics of characterless, jobless agents of destruction. He is fully aware of the agenda of those sponsoring such individuals to undermine his ministry. However, he has decided to respond specifically to the false claim by the said Miss Chi that she is his biological daughter, in order to set the record straight.
We therefore state categorically, emphatically, and unequivocally that the claims made by the so-called Ms. Chi Okafor are entirely false, misleading, malicious, inciting, and gravely injurious to the personality and character of our Client.
Before narrating the true facts, it is important to inform you that our Client has formally written a warning letter to Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan), who has persistently used his social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, among others—to harass, defame, incite the public against our Client, and issue threats under the guise of activism, all in a bid to destroy him, his ministry, and satisfy his paymasters.
One is left to wonder how an individual who claims to be an activist could unlawfully publish an interview with a lady falsely claiming to be our Client’s biological daughter, thereby criminally defaming him across the internet, without having the decency to reach out to our Client for his side of the story. This was done purely for self-serving purposes, cheap content creation, and online popularity, based on the assumption that our Client, being a pastor, would not respond on social media.
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