A U.S. District Court in Maryland has dismissed two lawsuits filed by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) against Nigerian social media influencer and YouTuber, Mrs. Funke Ashekun. The lawsuits accused Ashekun of electronic communication harassment.
One of the cases was filed by Adekunle Adekola, a former personal assistant to the church’s General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, and now a pastor at MFM Rockville branch in Maryland. The second case was brought forward by Kunle Ladipo, the MFM pastor for the Bowie branch in Maryland.
Both pastors alleged that Ashekun had been harassing them via her social media platforms since January 4, 2022. They claimed she had posted defamatory content, accusing one of them of being a former street gang leader in Lagos before becoming Olukoya’s assistant.
Ladipo, in a handwritten document obtained by SaharaReporters, accused Ashekun of continuously defaming and harassing him through her Facebook and YouTube channels. He claimed that she had created damaging narratives about him, falsely accusing him of illegal and immoral acts without any evidence or justification.
Part of his statement read: “Since January 4, 2022, Funke Ashekun has used her Facebook and YouTube platforms to harass, hound, and alarm me (Olakunle Ladipo). She has posted videos that harass me and create harmful narratives, accusing me of illegal and immoral acts with no proof. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter from MFM on February 20, 2024, she has continued to post malicious content.”
The cases were heard on October 11, 2024, by Judge John C. Moffett, as confirmed by court documents obtained by SaharaReporters. Both lawsuits were dismissed due to a lack of evidence. The court document reads: “ELEC COMM HARASS, Plea-Other Plea Verdict-Nolle Prosequi,” signaling the dismissal of the charges.
This recent ruling marks Ashekun’s fourth victory in court against MFM within a span of 10 months. Previous rulings in her favor were delivered on January 24 and April 18, 2024.
In response to the court’s decision, Ashekun expressed her relief, stating that Dr. Olukoya had used MFM pastors and U.S. branches to file multiple lawsuits against her in 2024. She viewed this as an attempt to silence her and prevent the exposure of alleged mistreatment of church members.
“I thank God that the criminal cases brought against me by two MFM pastors have been dismissed. DK Olukoya tried to use his influence in the U.S. to oppress and silence me, but he continues to fail. He filed four different court cases against me this year alone, which is an abuse of the court process,” Ashekun told SaharaReporters. She added, “I know justice will prevail because everything I’ve said about him is true!”
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