Nigerian blogger Funke Ashekun, residing in the United States, has been imposed with a $50,000 fine by a Maryland court following a defamation lawsuit filed by the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
The Baltimore County Circuit Court, presided over by Theresa Adams, delivered a unanimous verdict in favor of MFM USA and its three pastors—Grace Ugeh, Kunle Ladipo, and Adekunle Adekola.
The jury found that Ashekun’s social media posts had defamed MFM and portrayed its pastors falsely.
In response, the blogger expressed surprise, stating she didn’t know the accusers personally and had never attended their church since relocating to the US.
In a video posted to her YouTube channel, Ashekun revealed the accusers as Adekunle Adekola and Kunle Ladipo, pastors at MFM branches in Maryland, along with Grace Ugeh, a pastor in California.
She emphasized that her content focused on addressing societal issues, particularly sexual abuse within churches, without specifically naming any organization or individual.
The MFM lead counsel, Gilbert Garcia, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating that the church was gratified to have its position vindicated.
