Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., a Nigerian lawyer, has intensified a long-standing family and legal dispute by issuing a stern demand letter to Sandra Palmer Agho, accusing her of defamation through a series of viral social media videos.
Representing Agho’s estranged partner, Kelvin Uyi Martins, in a contentious child custody battle, Ogbankwa is demanding an immediate retraction, public apology, and N500 million in compensation, warning that failure to comply within 21 days will prompt a N1 billion lawsuit.
The letter, dated November 25, 2025, and addressed to Agho at her residence in Benin City, Edo State, catalogs what Ogbankwa describes as “disparaging, false, and damaging” statements made across platforms including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram. These videos, he claims, portray him as a corrupt lawyer using undue influence to sway judges and police in Martins’ favor, severely tarnishing his professional reputation.
“You have a lawyer that is doing all sorts of dirty things for you in BENIN,” one alleged video quote reads, according to the letter. Another accuses Ogbankwa of challenging judges in court and threatening judicial officers, implying he leverages “godfathers” in politics and law enforcement to obstruct justice. Ogbankwa further contends that Agho falsely labeled Martins a “baby thief” in a video, superimposing Ogbankwa’s photo as if he were the child’s father, a claim he calls baseless and malicious.
The dispute traces back to a bitter fallout between Agho and Martins, a Nigeria-born Danish citizen, over the custody of their four-year-old son, Johannes Owen Martins. What began as a 15-year romance soured in early 2023, leading to allegations of child abduction when Martins relocated the boy to Denmark. Agho has publicly claimed the move was non-consensual, sharing emotional videos detailing her anguish and accusing Martins of deceit. In response, Martins’ camp, led by Ogbankwa, has released WhatsApp chats purporting to show Agho’s prior agreement to the arrangement, framing her narrative as fabricated.
Ogbankwa’s letter highlights his credentials as a seasoned legal practitioner, former Director of Strategic Communications for the African Bar Association, ex-Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Benin Branch, and public affairs analyst for outlets like Voice of America, to underscore the reputational harm. “That these your comments have made me to be viewed with odium and opprobrium in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public,” the document states.
It also references a January 7, 2023, incident where Ogbankwa alleges Agho assaulted him in front of Benin Metro’s Area Commander, ACP (Retired) Angelo Akaro, and IPO David Igene. After being granted bail and summoned to report, he claims she fled to the AIG Zone 5 headquarters in Benin City to spin false narratives. This matter, he notes, remains pending as a fundamental human rights appeal at the Court of Appeal, Benin Division.
Agho has not yet responded publicly to the latest demand, but her social media activity has intensified in recent weeks, including a November 14 video recounting her son’s alleged unauthorized adoption in Denmark. Prior Interpol reports have partially vindicated Martins, deeming Agho’s abduction claims unsubstantiated. DNA tests confirmed paternity, yet the transatlantic tug-of-war persists, involving ex-parte orders, appeals, and accusations of judicial interference.
Ogbankwa’s history with Agho includes earlier petitions to Benin police over her alleged phantom marriage to Martins without consent and defamatory broadcasts. In September 2023, he and Martins urged Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission to curb “quacks” in media amid similar smears.
The letter closes with a resolute warning: “I have been greatly patient and I have maintained a studied silence on the matter, but talking legally, enough is enough. The wheel of Justice moves slowly but surely. Every impunity has an expiry date.”
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