January 26, (THEWILL) – A Baltimore County Circuit Court in the United States of America, presided over by Theresa Adams, has slammed a record $50,000 damages on a US-based Nigerian blogger, Funke Ashekun, for defaming Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) and its General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
Collins Edomaruse, Media Aide to Dr. Olukoya, in a statement on Thursday, said the jury found that the postings of Ashekun defamed the MFM and portrayed its pastors in a false light.
Delivering judgment in the case numbered: C-03-CV-22-004424, the court, in a unanimous verdict, ruled in favour of the Mountain of Fire USA and its three pastors, Grace Ugeh, Kunle Ladipo and Adekunle Adekola.
“Ashekun is a Nigerian lady, who recently relocated to the United States. She has been on social media, spreading all manners of falsehoods against the MFM Church and its General Overseer with the sole purpose of tarnishing and damaging the reputation of the respected Man of God and that of his ministry – MFM.
“Being deceived by this illusion that she can hide in the US and successfully carry out the job of her paymasters to ridicule and tarnish the image of the MFM and its General Overseer, she refused to heed all Godly counsel for her to retrace her steps and refrain from her self-destructive mission.
“Thus, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (US) successfully prosecuted its claims against her which did not last for a year,” the statement added.
Reacting to the judgment, Lead counsel for MFM, Gilbert Garcia, said, “The Church was gratified that the jury found in favour and vindicated our position.”
