Mercy Johnson withdraws defamation case against TikToker Eedie Bliss

Popular Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie has withdrawn a controversial defamation case against TikToker Eedie Bliss, leading to the social media influencer’s release from police detention after days of public backlash and intense online debate over the use of criminal processes in civil disputes.

Eedie Bliss regained her freedom on Saturday, January 17, 2026, after the actress formally dropped all charges against her.

The decision followed mounting pressure from social media users, activists and commentators who criticised the arrest and questioned why allegations of defamation — typically handled as civil matters — had resulted in detention.

The case had attracted nationwide attention after prominent social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, openly condemned Mercy Johnson’s actions.

He accused the actress of abusing her influence and described the detention as oppressive, insisting that defamation should be resolved in court through civil litigation rather than police custody.

VeryDarkMan went further to issue a public ultimatum demanding the immediate release of the TikToker.

Within hours of his intervention, VeryDarkMan announced on Instagram that Eedie Bliss had been freed, confirming that Mercy Johnson had agreed to withdraw the complaint.

In a post directed at the actress, he thanked her for dropping the case and called on the public to end what he described as sustained online bullying against her and her family.

The controversy stems from a TikTok video posted by Eedie Bliss in December 2025, in which she made serious allegations against Mercy Johnson and her husband, Prince Henry Okojie.

In the video, Bliss claimed that Prince Okojie had allegedly purchased a house for a woman she described as his pregnant mistress.

She further alleged, citing gossip blogger Cutie Juls as her source, that Mercy Johnson had conspired with the woman’s house help, leading to a miscarriage — claims that sparked outrage and prompted the actress to seek legal action.

Following the video’s circulation, Eedie Bliss was arrested and detained, a development that intensified public scrutiny and reignited conversations around freedom of expression, responsible social media use, and the criminalisation of defamation in Nigeria.