Ashekun, a former member of the church (headquarters) in Lagos made this known in a Baltimore County Circuit Court in the United States and also on her programme monitored by SaharaReporters called 'Moment of Truth' on Tuesday.
A US-based Nigerian social media influencer and YouTuber Mrs. Funke Ashekun has cried out that Daniel Olukoya, the general overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry is allegedly after her life.
Ashekun, a former member of the church (headquarters) in Lagos made this known in a Baltimore County Circuit Court in the United States and also on her programme monitored by SaharaReporters called 'Moment of Truth' on Tuesday.
She asserted that she had been to the police in the US on different occasions and also had cameras installed all over her house as directed by the police. According to her, she is weary of the “ungodly activities” of Olukoya but concerned about her safety and that of her family members.
Ashekun told the court how Olukoya had allegedly gone after everyone close to her, especially the illegal detection of one Sunday Bawura Olowoyeye, a former pastor and Ayotunde Richard a former singer in MFM church.
She also explained that the US court awarded $50,000 against her and in favour of the MFM in the US because the three attorneys employed by the church were able to argue in court that MFM USA is a corporate organization in the country which suffered losses and damages as a result of her programmes.
She said; "I heard Olukoya in a recorded telephone conversation discovered online where he was threatening to arrest with the police one Bolanle Adebayo, a member of his church whom Olukoya perceived was communicating with me.
"Olukoya had gone ahead to harass my friends with the police and he had kept two of them in police custody with the help of a particular Superintendent Ayoleyi Tawose Ajayi of police in Alagbon FCID in Lagos.
"Ayoleyi Tawose Ajayi seized Richard's phones alongside his wife's and searched through and delivered detailed information from the four phones to Daniel Olukoya, including financial transactions, bank statements and other conversations to Daniel Olukoya of MFM.
“Olukoya blatantly handed those documents to his United States lawyer Garcias to present in court during a court session that involved MFM and Funke Ashekun
"I have been to the American police on three occasions and also had cameras installed all over my house as directed by the police. I am weary of the ungodly activities of DK Olukoya and I’m concerned about my safety and that of my family members.
"It is false propaganda that a US court slammed me $50,000 for defaming Olukoya! Olukoya is not one of the 6 plaintiffs that sued me. How was judgement ruled in his favour when he wasn’t even listed as one of the plaintiffs. In a defamation case, proper parties must be brought before the court. The defamed must be the plaintiff.
"The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against me are MFM USA, MFM MARYLAND, MFM BOWIE and three of their pastors including Grace Ugeh, Adekunle Adekola and Kunle Ladipo.
"The three attorneys employed by MFM were able to argue in court that MFM USA is a corporate organization in the United States of America which suffered losses and damages as a result of my programs.
"They claimed their branches are closing down and pastors who are breadwinners of their homes are becoming jobless. They also claimed that their members and their children are suffering from psychological and emotional abuse from the public as a result of my shows. They also claimed that their pastors are even ashamed to identify themselves as MFM pastors again.
"They argued that because I have made similar statements on Maureen Badejo’s shows in 2020 about Olukoya and MFM church, their members regard ‘Moment Of Truth’ as an extension of my appearance on Maureen’s show and thereby started leaving MFM church in the US.
"While the court awarded $50,000 in favour of MFM USA, the remaining 6 plaintiffs' defamation claims were struck out including MFM Maryland and MFM Bowie because those are regarded as private bodies and cannot claim defamation. The two branches do not come under US corporate organizations."
A Baltimore County Circuit Court in the US had awarded $50,000 in damages against Mrs. Ashekun for defaming Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in the US.
The MFM had filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian social media influencer, YouTuber and a former member of the church over alleged defamatory programmes against the ministry and its General Overseer, Olukoya.
The lawsuit was filed at Baltimore County Circuit Court by one Adekunle Adekola, who is a pastor at an MFM branch in the US.