• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

The matter stems from a criminal defamation complaint filed by Dr. Olukoya against Richard. Nigerian social media influencer and YouTuber, Mrs. Funke Ashekun, has alleged that the order of immediate arrest on her and the revoked of her associate, Ayotunde Richard's bail, in a Nigerian prison is linked to an ongoing legal dispute involving the founder of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pastor Daniel Kolawole Olukoya. A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the immediate arrest of Funke Ashekun and revoked Richard's bail for allegedly scandalising the court on social media, even as the underlying case remains pending. The matter stems from a criminal defamation complaint filed by Dr. Olukoya against Richard. Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa, who is presiding over the case, made the ruling after police prosecutor Mr. Nosa Uhumwangho drew attention to a social media post by Ashekun. The judge noted that Richard admitted in his affidavit that the post did not accurately reflect court proceedings and that Ashekun had tagged him in the story. Richard is facing charges of cyberstalking, libel, and defamation, all linked to social media posts about Dr. Olukoya. He was initially remanded in prison pending a bail application hearing. Speaking to SaharaReporters on Friday, Ashekun detailed the circumstances surrounding the order of her arrest and Richard's latest detention, claiming it was connected to a cyberbullying case initiated by MFM lawyers. She explained that the legal dispute began in 2024 when an MFM lawyer, Davidson Juwon, together with the church's Social Media Monitoring Committee Head, Folashade Sanni, petitioned Richard over alleged cyberbullying. Richard was arrested and remanded in prison that year but was later granted bail. According to Ashekun, the case underwent several court hearings and was eventually adjourned to later on the 29th of April 2026. She alleged that during a February 4, 2026, hearing, the presiding judge reportedly expressed disappointment in Olukoya through one of the petitioners, after which the judge asked that the court be put off record. Ashekun claimed that the situation escalated after she published a post recounting what the judge had said during the off-record session. The post partly reads; "THE JUDGE SENT A STRONG MESSAGE TO OLUKOYA IN COURT TODAY!... "Folashade Sanni, tell Dr Olukoya that I am highly ashamed on his behalf and highly disappointed in him! I have personally prayed MfM prayers and you bringing your former Praise and Worship leader before me shows that I wasted my time praying all those prayers "This is a clear sign that there is no power in MfM! Bible says if the enemy shall come like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall raise a standard against them. If MfM cannot raise a standard against this man, it means MfM has no spiritual standard "You lack spiritual power to handle him, therefore you brought him to me physically so I can help you jail him because of gossip "Federal high court is a place meant for very serious issues, not gossip "N.B: The Judge thought Richard stole MfM money through Internet but later read the matter and found out it was all about gossip." She alleged that the judge subsequently accused Richard of facilitating the publication because she had tagged him and six others in the post, ordering him to remain in custody until she issued a public apology. Ashekun said she has since complied with the apology. She further alleged that Richard's court hearing was abruptly fast-tracked to Wednesday, coinciding with a deposition scheduled in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, where she is pursuing a separate lawsuit. Ashekun said she had been seeking court approval for her witnesses, who are outside the U.S., to testify remotely. She added that the court eventually granted permission for her to depose the witnesses herself in the presence of the plaintiffs' lawyers for cross-examination. However, Ashekun alleged that later the same night in Nigeria, Richard's lawyer received an expedited order requiring his appearance in court on Wednesday -- the same time he was scheduled to testify remotely in her U.S. case. She described Richard as a key witness in her legal battle and claimed that he had been imprisoned three times over disputes involving Olukoya and MFM. Efforts to obtain comments from the leadership of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, as well as the individuals mentioned in Ashekun's allegations, were unsuccessful at the time of filing. Source: https://saharareporters.com/2026/03/06/us-based-nigerian-influencer-funke-ashekun-alleges-mfm-founder-influenced-remand