Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has shared a deeply personal account of her past struggles with smoking, alcohol use, masturbation and anger, saying she has found lasting freedom through faith and prayer.
Dikeh made the revelation during a recent testimony at Streams of Joy International Church’s New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD), led by the church’s founder, Pastor Jerry Eze. A video of the testimony was shared online on Sunday.
Addressing the congregation, the actress disclosed that she began smoking at the age of 13 and battled various addictions for several years, describing her journey as one marked by emotional pain and spiritual bondage.
“I smoked since I was 13. God healed me from masturbation, too. I have known myself to have sexual intercourse in the dream ever since I was a child,” she said.
Dikeh explained that although she was initially reluctant to share her testimony publicly due to concerns about her public image, she chose to speak out as an expression of gratitude to God.
“The devil tried to tell me that I was supposed to protect my image. But I told myself, what image? The God that gave me the image is the same God that can take it away,” she said.
According to the actress, a turning point came after attending the Ghana Prayer Conference, which she said marked the end of years of spiritual struggle.
“I realised that the weak man who held me captive all my years in my dream ran away,” she said, describing the experience as a life-changing breakthrough.
She also spoke about battling intense anger, which she said affected her relationships and peace of mind before she found healing through prayer.
“An anger that destroyed my life. Everybody had to feel it. But praying with NSPPD, God took all of those away and gave me peace,” Dikeh said.
The actress noted that she only recently began to experience inner peace, describing it as unfamiliar but transformative.
“I am 40 years old, and I can tell you I have never known peace until now. I am living in it,” she added.
Reflecting on her long-term smoking habit, which she said lasted about 27 years, Dikeh traced its roots to early exposure at home and warned parents about the influence their habits can have on children.
“I started smoking because my dad was a smoker. Something as little as that habit can inhabit the lives of your children,” she said.
She further stated that after seeking divine intervention, her desire for cigarettes and alcohol disappeared entirely.
“My body does not ask for it. My body is repelling it. Today, it is broken,” she said.
At the end of the testimony, Pastor Jerry Eze prayed for the actress, declaring freedom from what he described as a “body of sin” and referring to her as “a voice in her generation.”
Dikeh later shared photos from the church service on her Instagram page, captioning them: “A living testimony of mercy. One God spared, restored, and commissioned.”
