Veteran Nollywood actress and pastor, Eucharia Anunobi, has announced that she has commenced legal proceedings against Apostle Psalm Okpe, founder of the US-based Fresh Oil Ministry International Church, over an audio recording in which the cleric allegedly claimed he had an intimate relationship with her.
The controversy follows the circulation of a recorded telephone conversation between Apostle Okpe and one Pastor Martin, in which the preacher reportedly alleged that he dated Anunobi and had sexual relations with her for more than five years.
Reacting in a series of videos shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, the 60-year-old actress vehemently denied the claims, describing them as false, defamatory and injurious to her personal integrity and ministerial calling.
Legal redress
Anunobi said she had decided to pursue the matter legally, insisting that the allegations had caused her deep emotional distress and amounted to a long-running attempt to damage her ministry.
She disclosed that her lawyers had been instructed to prepare petitions to the Nigerian Police Force as well as relevant security and immigration authorities in the United States, accusing Apostle Okpe of making defamatory statements intended to tarnish her reputation as a respected actress and Christian minister.
According to her, the cleric would now be required to substantiate his claims before the law.
Security concerns
The actress further warned that she considered her life and ministry to be under threat, stating that Apostle Okpe should be held accountable should any harm come to her, her family members, or her property, either in Nigeria or abroad.
She also declared her willingness to undergo medical examination to prove that she had remained sexually abstinent since her ordination into ministry nearly fourteen years ago.
‘Impossible relationship’
Anunobi dismissed outright the notion that Apostle Okpe could have dated her, insisting that such claims existed only in his imagination. She maintained that she merely supported his ministry financially at the time out of commitment to her faith, not because of any personal or romantic involvement.
She stressed that there were verifiable records to support her position and described the allegations as a product of bitterness and fantasy.
Claim of celibacy
The actress further stated that no man had been intimate with her since she dedicated her life fully to God. While acknowledging that she had been in courtships and engagements over the years, she insisted that none of those relationships involved sexual relations.
She reaffirmed that she had maintained celibacy throughout her years in ministry and rejected the allegations as malicious fabrications driven by jealousy and resentment.
Ministry fallout
Anunobi confirmed that Apostle Okpe played a role in her ordination and early ministerial journey, serving as her spiritual mentor at the time. However, she said she later withdrew from the ministry after becoming uncomfortable with what she described as troubling practices, including what she termed “transactional ministry”.
She recalled that her request to be released from the ministry in 2015 was initially resisted, and that she later heard reports that Apostle Okpe had threatened to destroy her ministry because he had ordained her.
After her departure, she alleged, the cleric continued to mislead members of the public by claiming she was still affiliated with his church, despite having left years earlier.
Anunobi said this pattern of misrepresentation reinforced her belief that there was a deliberate effort to undermine her reputation and spiritual work.
Previous reactions
According to Premium Times, the actress had earlier shared screenshots on Instagram of blog posts suggesting that Apostle Okpe had apologised for his remarks.
During a TikTok Live session with her followers, Anunobi described the preacher as a “monumental global embarrassment” and said she believed divine justice had exposed his actions.
She reiterated that repeated attempts on social media to discredit her name, ministry and career would ultimately fail, adding that she remained resolute in defending everything she had worked to build over decades.
