A United States court has awarded $300,000 in damages to Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) in a defamation case instituted by its American arm against Ms. Olufunke Ashekun.
The judgment was delivered on March 13, 2026, by the Baltimore County Circuit Court in the suit filed by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries USA, Inc. against Ashekun.
According to court documents, the jury found Ashekun liable for defamation and false light claims brought against her by the church, leading to the award of $250,000 as compensatory damages and $50,000 as punitive damages.
The case arose from what the plaintiffs described as a sustained online campaign allegedly carried out by Ashekun, which the church argued damaged its reputation and that of its General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya.
In its ruling, the court held that the statements attributed to Ashekun constituted defamatory publications capable of harming the reputation and professional standing of the church and its leadership.
The unanimous jury decision affirmed that the materials circulated by the defendant had negatively affected the public perception of the ministry and its activities.
During the proceedings, dramatic moments reportedly occurred inside the courtroom.
Sources familiar with the trial said Ashekun collapsed a day before the jury delivered its verdict and was taken out of the court premises by emergency medical responders.
Her husband was also said to have experienced a similar medical episode the following day while attempting to submit a medical report to the court on her behalf.
Despite the incidents, the court proceedings continued, culminating in the jury’s final verdict in favour of the plaintiff.
The damages awarded included punitive compensation, which courts typically impose to penalise particularly harmful conduct and deter similar actions in the future.
Representatives of the ministry described the ruling as a significant legal victory and a vindication of the reputation of the church and its leadership.
They maintained that the case was instituted to protect the integrity of the organisation and to challenge what they considered damaging allegations circulated against it.
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, founded in Nigeria and now with branches in many countries, is led by its General Overseer, Dr.Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, a cleric, first-class scholar and author.
From Ayoyinka Jegede
“Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse in US Court as court fines her $300,000 for Defaming MFM”
A Baltimore County Circuit Court in Maryland has ruled in favor of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries USA, Inc. in a defamation and false light case against Funke Ashekun, ordering her to pay $250,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages.
The court recognized the “prolonged, intense, and malicious campaign” conducted by Ashekun against Dr. DK Olukoya and the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.
The jury’s decision came after Ashekun’s evidence and witnesses were deemed weak and inadmissible.
Dramatically, Ashekun collapsed in court a day before the ruling, reportedly realizing the case was overwhelmingly against her. Her husband also collapsed the next day while submitting a medical report on her behalf.
The court’s decision is seen as a vindication of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries’ reputation and that of Dr. DK Olukoya, the General Overseer.
