The founder of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, Pastor Chris Okafor, has moved to challenge allegations of paternity and abandonment through his legal team, following viral claims made by a woman identifying herself as Chidera Okafor.
The controversy erupted after Chidera engaged in a conversation with social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in which she claimed to be Pastor Okafor’s biological daughter. Her testimony painted a troubling picture of alleged mistreatment and inequality within the household.
“I am the daughter of Prophet Dr. Chris Okafor. I used to live with him years ago, and I left around 2020 because things were about to get out of hand,” Chidera stated in the audio conversation. She further alleged that among her siblings, she was “the only one from my mother, while the other four are from a different mom,” and that she experienced visibly unfair treatment that even household staff could witness.
VeryDarkMan amplified these claims on social media, writing that this represented “yet another disturbing testimony” and noting that “all three of your adult daughters have shared troubling accounts.” The social media commentator expressed being “literally sick” after listening to Chidera’s testimony.
At a press briefing convened to address the matter, Pastor Okafor’s legal representatives delivered a forceful rebuttal, categorically rejecting the paternity claims as “frantically untrue, misleading, malicious, inciting, and injurious” to their client’s character and reputation.
The legal team presented a dramatically different narrative of the relationship between Pastor Okafor and Chidera’s mother. According to the lawyers, while the cleric and the woman were indeed married at one point, the union was dissolved due to alleged infidelity on the woman’s part. Crucially, they claimed that a DNA test conducted at the time “conclusively established that the children in question are not his biological children.”
“Our client and the impostor’s mother ended the supposed marriage, and both severed personal ties following a DNA test,” the lawyers stated, referring to Chidera as an “impostor” throughout their presentation.
Despite the DNA results allegedly proving no biological connection, the legal team revealed that Pastor Okafor has continued providing financial support for the children’s education and welfare, including funding their careers abroad in Canada and the United Kingdom. The lawyers emphasized this was done “purely out of compassion and goodwill” and should not be misconstrued as acknowledgment of paternity.
Pastor Okafor’s attorneys issued a series of explicit demands, including:
- Immediate retraction of all allegedly false and defamatory statements published online concerning their client
- A formal apology was published in two national newspapers, with copies sent to the appropriate authorities
- Cessation of any implications of a familial relationship with the pastor
- Removal of all content falsely associating him with paternity or abandonment claims
- A challenge for Chidera and her sibling is to undergo DNA testing at any health facility of their choice
The legal notice concluded with a stern warning: “TAKE NOTICE that failure to comply with these demands may leave our client with no alternative but to pursue appropriate legal remedies to protect his reputation and integrity.”
The lawyers also directed sharp criticism at VeryDarkMan for his role in amplifying the allegations. They accused the social media commentator of lacking “the decency to reach out to our client to hear his own side before publishing such malicious, self-serving content all over the internet.”
The legal team suggested VDM’s motivations were driven by a desire to “create content and cheap popularity,” exploiting the knowledge that Pastor Okafor, as a religious leader, might be unlikely to engage in social media disputes.
This paternity dispute emerges against the backdrop of other recent controversies surrounding Pastor Okafor. The cleric recently remarried, wedding a woman named Pearl in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and well-wishers. However, the celebration was overshadowed by allegations from Nollywood actress Doris Ogala.
Ogala claimed she had been in a relationship with Pastor Okafor since 2017 and accused him of betrayal after the engagement video went viral. The actress alleged the pastor had convinced her to leave her previous marriage with promises of their own union, leaving her emotionally distressed when he married another woman instead.
Following the wedding, Ogala escalated matters by serving a pre-action notice demanding either marriage or financial settlement, ultimately seeking ₦1 billion in damages for what she termed a breach of marriage promise.
The case raises complex questions about paternity, responsibility, and the intersection of public reputation and private life for religious figures. The demand for DNA testing could provide definitive answers to the biological questions at the heart of this dispute, though the emotional and reputational dimensions may prove more difficult to resolve.
As this matter potentially moves toward litigation, it highlights the growing role of social media in amplifying personal disputes involving public figures and the legal ramifications that can follow viral allegations.
Whether the parties will pursue DNA testing or reach some form of settlement remains to be seen, but the public nature of these exchanges ensures continued scrutiny of all involved.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Pastor Chris Okafor is vehemently denying paternity claims made by Chidera Okafor, who publicly alleged he is her father and abandoned her. His lawyers assert that a previous DNA test proved the children from that dissolved marriage are not biologically his, yet he has continued supporting them financially out of compassion.
The legal team has demanded immediate retractions and a public apology and challenged Chidera to undergo new DNA testing, threatening legal action if these demands are not met.
A disputed paternity claim backed by conflicting DNA test assertions, with the pastor’s reputation and the woman’s identity both hanging in the balance pending potential new DNA verification.
