A Baltimore County Circuit Court in the United States, under the direction of Theresa Adams, has imposed a record $50,000 in damages on US-based Nigerian blogger, Funke Ashekun. The judgment was for defamation against the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
According to a statement from Olukoya’s media aide, Collins Edomaruse, the jury found that Ashekun’s online posts had defamed MFM and portrayed its pastors in a false light. The court, in Case Number: C-03-CV-22-004424, delivered a unanimous verdict in favor of MFM USA and its pastors, Grace Ugeh, Kunle Ladipo, and Adekunle Adekola.
Ashekun, who recently moved to the United States, had been accused by MFM of spreading false information against the church and its General Overseer through social media platforms. The damages were awarded due to her alleged intention to tarnish the reputation of the church and its leader.
In response to the lawsuit, Ashekun posted a video on her YouTube channel on November 28, 2023, confirming the legal action against her by MFM and its three US-based pastors. She expressed surprise and asserted that she did not know the plaintiffs personally.
The blogger emphasized that her content focused on issues like sexual assault within religious institutions, aiming to address abuse and oppression. Ashekun insisted that she had not specifically named any church or pastor in her posts and was shocked to face legal action for speaking out.
Following the court’s decision, MFM’s lead counsel, Gilbert Garcia, stated that the church was pleased with the jury’s findings, describing it as a vindication of their position.
