Popular Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh and her bodyguard, Gbenga, have been summoned by the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, over allegations of assault and trespass.
The case, marked as CR/359/2024, was filed by Elvis Abuyere, the Chief Executive of Skyewise Group Limited, a car dealership in Abuja.
The court, in a “summons dated August 6, 2024, ordered Dikeh and her bodyguard to appear on August 24, 2024, to respond to the charges brought against them.”
The allegations stem from a business transaction involving the purchase of a brand-new Changan Uni-K 2023 model car from Mikano Motors, which Dikeh had arranged through Abuyere’s dealership.
According to Abuyere, the actress made a down payment for the car by trading in her 2008/2009 Lexus, valued at N37 million, and added an extra N3.5 million. However, she failed to pay the remaining balance by the agreed deadline of April 2024, leading to a breach of contract. When repeated attempts to collect the outstanding payment failed, Abuyere repossessed the car on May 1, 2024.
Dikeh subsequently made partial payments totaling N42 million, leaving an outstanding balance of N2.1 million. In late July, she contacted the dealership to service the vehicle, but upon completion of the service, the dealership demanded the remaining balance of N2.7 million.
It was during this dispute that the actress, accompanied by her bodyguard and two other women, allegedly forced their way into Abuyere’s business premises in Maitama, Abuja.
They are accused of committing “criminal trespass,” assaulting the complainant and his staff, damaging property, and threatening to use social media to harm the dealership’s reputation.
Following the incident, Dikeh and her companions were arrested by the police. The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit also invited Dikeh for questioning in connection with an ongoing investigation into charges of criminal defamation, cyberbullying, and forgery.
In response to these developments, Tonto Dikeh took to Instagram to clarify her position.
She denied being arrested or jailed, stating, “I am in my house enjoying the goodness of God.”
She emphasized that she is a “law-abiding citizen” and would never be involved in “criminal activities.”
Dikeh further stated “that she has never been served with any search or arrest warrants by the police.”
“I will always honor invitations extended to me whether to help the law enforcement agencies in their job or to provide clarifications on issues,” Dikeh said in her post.
She also warned that she would take legal action against anyone attempting to defame her character or spread false stories about her.