Drama unfolded outside the High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after actress Judy Austin was confronted by people as she left the court premises following a hearing involving her legal battle with veteran actress Rita Edochie and her former husband, Emmanuel Obasi.
In a video circulating online, some people could be heard calling out to Austin as she made her way away from the court.
Among the remarks heard from the crowd was, “Husband snatcher, who is taking her in-law to court?”
The confrontation came amid a long-running public dispute involving Austin, Edochie and Obasi, which has now moved into the courtroom.
Austin filed separate defamation suits against Edochie and Obasi, demanding ₦1 billion in damages from each defendant. The legal actions bring the total damages being sought in the two cases to more than ₦2 billion.
In the suits, Austin is seeking damages over statements she considers defamatory, as well as orders compelling the defendants to publish retractions and apologies in national newspapers and on their social media platforms.
She is also asking the court to restrain the defendants from making further publications she considers defamatory and to order the removal of previous posts containing the alleged defamatory statements.
The case against Obasi came up before the court on Tuesday, with his legal team challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Following the proceedings, Obasi said his lawyers had informed him that the opposing legal team had been served with his application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
He also confirmed that the matter had been adjourned to November 24, 2026, for further proceedings.
Austin and Obasi were previously married, while Edochie is a member of actor Yul Edochie’s extended family. The dispute has played out publicly for years, with comments concerning Austin’s relationship with Yul Edochie and her previous marriage to Obasi forming part of the wider controversy.
Rita Edochie has previously responded to Austin’s lawsuit, while maintaining her position on comments she had made about the actress. She also challenged Austin to produce a marriage certificate showing her marriage to Yul Edochie.
The latest court appearance has now generated another wave of reactions online, particularly after footage emerged showing Austin leaving the Abuja court premises and members of the public calling out to her.
The remarks from the crowd were reactions to the long-running controversy and do not represent findings by the court.
For now, the legal dispute remains ongoing, with the matter adjourned until November 24, 2026, as the parties continue their respective legal processes.
