A Baltimore County court has ruled in favour of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) in a defamation lawsuit against Funke Ashekun, ordering her to pay a total of $300,000 in damages.
The Circuit Court of Baltimore County made the judgment on March 13, 2026, in the case ‘Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries USA, Inc. v. Olufunke Ashekun’.
According to the ruling, the court found Ashekun guilty of defamation and false light and granted $250,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to the ministry’s U.S. branch. 
The case centred on allegations that Ashekun, a US-based Nigerian YouTuber and influencer, had carried out a campaign of statements. The jury concluded that the statements caused reputational damage to the ministry and its founder, Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, who serves as the General Overseer of the global church organisation.
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The ruling marked a significant legal victory for the ministry, which had sought to defend its reputation against the claims made by Ashekun.
Reports from the courtroom also indicated that Ashekun slumped shortly before the jury delivered its verdict. She was reportedly taken from the courtroom for medical attention by a 911 emergency ambulance. Her husband also reportedly required medical assistance the next day, but it didn’t stop the trial proceedings.
Despite the incidents, the jury proceeded with deliberations and eventually returned a unanimous decision in favour of the ministry.
The case calls attention to the increase in the number of legal disputes involving allegations of defamation and reputational harm within religious and public organisations.
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