Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson has withdrawn all charges against TikTok content creator Eedie Bliss, leading to her release from police detention on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Eedie Bliss, who was arrested earlier this month, was detained over a TikTok video in which she repeated unverified claims about Mercy Johnson’s husband, Prince Henry Okojie. The video alleged that Prince Okojie bought a house for a pregnant mistress and suggested that the actress had colluded with the woman’s house help to cause a miscarriage. The claims were sourced from gossip blogger Cutie Juls.
The case attracted widespread criticism on social media, with many Nigerians arguing that the matter should be handled as a civil dispute rather than a criminal offence. Among the voices calling for Eedie Bliss’s release was social media critic VeryDarkMan, who described the arrest as oppressive and said defamation should be settled in court.
VeryDarkMan issued an ultimatum to Mercy Johnson and later confirmed the TikToker’s release, posting on Instagram: “@MercyJohnsonOkojie, thank you very much, my GREATEST OF ALL TIME, for dropping the case. Moving on, I am buying all defamation cases against Mercy Johnson and her family. The bullying is too much. You all should leave her family alone.”
The actress’ decision to drop the charges came after mounting public pressure and debate over freedom of expression, the role of the police in defamation cases, and the growing influence of social media in shaping public narratives.
The release of Eedie Bliss appears to have brought an end, for now, to the legal dispute. Mercy Johnson and her husband have not commented further on the matter since the withdrawal of charges.
