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June 12, 2024
Additionally, it is alleged that Governor Sanwo-Olu is providing backing to Dr. Olukoya in his purported harassment of former church members who have disagreed with him and others deemed as his adversaries.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is said to be a key supporter of Dr. D.K. Olukoya, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), according to sources familiar with the church.
Additionally, it is alleged that Governor Sanwo-Olu is providing backing to Dr. Olukoya in his purported harassment of former church members who have disagreed with him and others deemed as his adversaries.
According to sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, Governor Sanwo-Olu - a member of the church along with his family - has allegedly utilized his position to provide Dr. Olukoya with governmental support in his campaign against perceived enemies. The sources described the governor's role as the primary force behind Dr. Olukoya's actions, with one of them stating, "He is the one emboldening Olukoya to carry out these actions."
"The governor is the strong force behind Olukoya in what he is doing," another said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu is an active member of MFM and regularly attends the church's monthly "Power Must Change Hands" programme, held at the MFM Prayer City along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Following his successful re-election in the 2023 Lagos governorship race, Sanwo-Olu and his wife, who are part of the MFM Lagos Region 1, Lekki church, visited the MFM Prayer City, the church's international headquarters, to share a testimony of their victory and express gratitude.
Governor Sanwo-Olu has a habit of using affectionate terms like "Daddy" to refer to Dr. Olukoya, demonstrating his close relationship with the cleric. For example, during the dedication of the Glory Tabernacle at MFM Lekki YC Region 3 in February 2023, Sanwo-Olu addressed Olukoya as "my father in the Lord, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire Ministries, Brother, Professor, Daddy, DK Olukoya." As a longtime supporter of MFM and its various arms, Sanwo-Olu hosted the MFM female basketball team at the Lagos State House in October 2023, congratulating them on their victory in the Nigerian Zenith Bank Women Basketball League.
The team, led by MFM Director of Sports, Mr. Godwin Enakhena, received assurances of the governor's continued support.
But when SaharaReporters contacted Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Governor, he dismissed the allegations, saying Sanwo-Olu was not even aware of the cases.
“That that doesn't make sense, people can be doing beer parlour talk that Governor Sanwo-Olu is giving him support because he is a governor, but that does not mean it's true,” Akosile said.
“Covering up in what way and how? Because he is a governor, someone has to now link his name to what is happening between two people. Please let politicians breathe, we are human beings.”
“The governor doesn't even know anything about what you are talking about, even me, I don't know.
“The Governor has no business with meddling with affairs of two people that are quarreling. If there is anything, the governor is a peacemaker. Instead of that, he will rather make peace,” he added.
History Of Alleged Persecution Of Olukoya’s Perceived Enemies
Last Friday, SaharaReporters reported that Ayotunde Richards, a gospel singer and former MFM church member, had again been arrested and detained at Ikoyi Prison over an alleged conspiracy to commit a felony and cyberstalking.
Ayotunde was the leader of the cleric’s backup singers and has been shuttling his home and police detention or Ikoyi Prison since last year.
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State, had granted bail to Ayotunde over a petition from Davidson Adejuwon, a lawyer and reportedly an aide to the church founder, Dr Daniel Olukoya.
In a ruling, Ambrose Allagoa, the presiding judge, said the charges against Ayotunde were bailable.
SaharaReporters had reported how Ayotunde was arrested over a petition from Davidson Adejuwon.
The lawyer accused Ayotunde of sundry acts of cyberbullying and libelling Olukoya.
Davidson filed the petition as counsel for one Mrs Sanni, an aide to Olukoya reportedly saddled with the cleric's social media concerns.
However, SaharaReporters learnt the latest arrest and detention were over a suit filed by one Opeyemi Emmanuel, a member of the church, who accused Ayotunde of conspiracy to commit a felony and cyberstalking.
SaharaReporters had reported that Ayotunde would be in Ikoyi Prison till Thursday, June 13 when his lawyer would move his bail application in court.
Ayotunde’s wife, Sholabomi, is also not safe from the alleged persecution.
In May, SaharaReporters reported how an Ogun State High Court in Sagamu restrained the police from arresting, detaining, questioning and prosecuting Sholabomi.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that at least eight police officers from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja had stormed Sholabomi's house in the Magboro area of Ogun to arrest her.
The police claimed that there was a petition against her but failed to show her the petition.
This was confirmed by the family’s lawyer, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, in a video he posted on Facebook titled, 'Latest On The Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministry (MFM) Vs The Ayotunde Richards Family.'
He explained that the police obtained her statement without showing her the petition written against her by MFM.
According to the lawyer, the police personnel later decided not to arrest her because doing so would leave her three young children without any adult to care for them.
However, in a court document later obtained by SaharaReporters, the presiding judge, Justice Tajudeen A. Okunsokan, issued the restraining order following an ex parte application filed by Mr Ogunlana over the police request for Sholabomi to report to their office in Abuja.
The 1st to 4th Respondents in the application are Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya (General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Miracles Ministry); Incorporated Trustees of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry; Superintendent of Police, Suleiman (Federal Criminal Investigation Department {FCID} Abuja) and Nigeria Police Force.
On June 4, SaharaReporters reported that the family of a 23-year-old blogger Adewale Ajimosogbe had raised the alarm over the detention of their son, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for three months.
Adewale has been unable since he fulfil his bail conditions since he was granted bail by a Lagos High Court.
Adewale was detained over alleged cyberbullying and libel against Olukoya.
The police arrested Adewale in March and he has been incarcerated since then.
It was learnt that Adewale - the Publisher of PostReporters - was arrested in the Okitipupa area of Ondo State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the blogger was arrested for re-publishing a SaharaReporters' story on Ayotunde Richards’ N15.5-billion-naira fundamental human rights case against the MFM founder, Davidson Adejuwon and the Nigeria Police.
It was alleged that the blogger added a rider - 'Olukoya is a criminal and the one behind all illegal acts in MFM.'
SaharaReporters gathered that the police claimed that they were acting on the strength of a petition written by Davidson Adejuwon, an aide to Olukoya and a lawyer, in which he accused the blogger of tarnishing Olukoya's name.
Davidson filed the petition as counsel for one Mrs Sanni, an aide to Olukoya reportedly saddled with the cleric’s social media concerns.
In July 2023, SaharaReporters reported how a gospel singer, Adebayo Bolanle went into hiding after receiving threats Olukoya for allegedly calling him 'Maradona'.
In a leaked phone conversation obtained by SaharaReporters, Olukoya threatened to initiate the arrest of Bolanle for the comments she allegedly made against him.
However, a family source told SaharaReporters that Bolanle went into hiding immediately after the phone conversation with the popular cleric, especially considering the plight of Ayotunde, who was being detained by the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos at the time.
Ayotunde's wife, Sholabomi had earlier told SaharaReporters that Olukoya and Opeyemi Emmanuel, a member of the church, were behind her husband's travails.
However, in the leaked phone conversation between Olukoya and Bolanle, obtained by SaharaReporters, the cleric's comments seemed to confirm that he initiated Ayotunde's arrest.
In the tape, Olukoya was heard challenging Bolanle, another church member, for allegedly speaking against him and calling him 'Maradona'.
He said the police sent her picture and a message she had sent to a blogger to him, after browsing through the phone of the detained Ayotunde.
In the leaked phone conversation, Olukoya was heard asking Bolanle if he had offended her for her to have allegedly made some ill comments about him.
In an interview posted on YouTube in May, Femi Jimoh, a Nigerian who identified himself as a former MFM pastor, accused the church of being behind his remand in prison for nine years, over alleged armed robbery.
Jimoh, who made this known during an interview on Yoruba Gidi TV, alleged that his trial started when he met the chief security officer to Pastor Daniel Olukoya at a native doctor's house
He said he was beaten and handcuffed while a Divisional Police Officer shot him in the leg.
According to him, his mother and sister went to beg Olukoya on his behalf but he told them that he would be released only if he pleaded guilty in court.
Similarly, a former usher with MFM, Caleb Oloruntele, recently narrated how Olukoya allegedly ordered the police to shoot him.
Oloruntele revealed this in an interview with Yoruba Gidi TV.
According to him, Olukoya wanted him dead because he refused to give false testimony against a pastor he identified as Femi Agboola.
The former usher said he was prosecuted in 2008 without any concrete evidence to prove the allegation made against him.
He said, “I joined the church to solve my life issues. But I didn’t know the church would complicate my life. Those who did not understand what really happened would be saying different things. Assuming I have died inside the prison, people would think Olukoya’s allegation of murder against me is true.
“I fear the police. The police know the criminals but because of corruption they always hide the truth. We went to Olukoya to beg him. We prostrated before him. He pushed us away. And he told the police that they did not do well. He asked the police why they did not shoot us.
“My parents were Muslims. I converted to Christianity.”
“The police said if God delivered me out of the problem, next time my boss gave me an instruction, I would carry it out.
“I did not understand what they were saying then. It means Olukoya wanted me to lie against Femi Agboola but I refused to do so because the man did not do anything to me. So why would I lie against him?
“The torture I received while in detention dislocated my hand and one of my ears is bad. I have been left with ‘a half-body’ (with a physical disability) because of Olukoya. When we were being taken to prison in the car, the police said, ‘Your pastor is a wicked person.’ He said we should take you to the site (prison) to kill you,’” he added.