Olufunke Ashekun, a Nigerian blogger , and her husband on Friday, March 13, collapsed ahead of the ruling in a legal dispute involving Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) Ministries, after the Baltimore county circuit court in Maryland, United States (U.S), delivered a judgment awarding the church $300,000 in damages in the defamation suit against her.
The judgment arose from the case of MFM USA, Inc. vs. Olufunke Ashekun.
Ashekun, a vocal former member of the church, had claimed that Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, the General Overseer of MFM, had been manipulating and molesting female members.
A day before the jury ruling, Ashekun slumped in court, realizing that the case was overwhelmingly against her due to weak and inadmissible evidence.
She was subsequently taken from the courtroom by an emergency 911 ambulance.
Her husband experienced a similar episode the following day when he appeared to submit a medical report on her behalf.
Despite these incidents, the jury proceeded with the verdict.
The court upheld the church’s claims of defamation and false light against Ashekun, awarding $250,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to MFM USA, Inc.
The ruling recognized the prolonged and malicious campaign conducted by Ashekun against Dr. Olukoya and the church, which had negatively impacted their professional integrity and public reputations.
By unanimous decision, the jury found that Ashekun’s actions had been widely publicized and damaging, marking an overwhelming victory and complete vindication for MFM.
The judgment effectively restored the reputation of both the church and its general overseer, Dr Olukoya
