Angela Okorie Re-arrested Over Lawyer Fee Refusal

Nigerian actress Angela Okorie has been re-arrested shortly after her release on bail, following a dispute over unpaid legal fees to the lawyer who secured her freedom.

Okorie was initially detained in Suleja prison after actor Mercy Johnson filed a complaint alleging defamation. She was granted bail on Friday after meeting the prescribed conditions. However, her freedom was short-lived.

According to reports from the Media Talk Africa, Okorie was re-detained at the Suleja prison on Tuesday, less than an hour after her release. The re-arrest is attributed to a financial disagreement with the legal counsel who facilitated her bail.

Actress Doris Ogala, speaking via an Instagram video, stated she was en route to a police station following the development. Ogala alleged that Okorie had engaged a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) through an intermediary to secure her bail, with the agreed fee being N5 million. She claimed the SAN had already deposited the sum to fulfill the bail requirements.

Ogala further alleged that upon learning the bail had been secured, Okorie denied having requested the SAN’s services and refused to remit the payment, despite the intermediary’s financial outlay. This purported refusal is cited as the direct cause for the re-arrest by the unnamed legal practitioner.

The sequence of events was presaged by actor Stanley Ontop, who raised an alarm on social media earlier on Tuesday about a potential plan to re-arrest Okorie immediately after her release.

Okorie’s case now centers on a contractual dispute with her legal representative, which has superseded the original defamation complaint that led to her initial arrest. Her current legal status hinges on the resolution of this fee disagreement. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement confirming the specific legal basis for the second detention. The incident underscores the potential complications that can arise from private financial arrangements within the bail process.