A blogger, Adewale Ajimisogbe, has been convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos of cyberbullying and defaming Dr Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa handed the verdict after Ajimisogbe agreed to a plea bargain with the police and pleaded guilty to all charges.
On March 20, 2024, Ajimisogbe and Ayotunde Richards, a former MFM member, were charged with conspiracy, cyberbullying, and libel on 12 counts.
While both individuals were charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and defamation, Ajimisogbe faced nine additional counts of libel.
According to police prosecutor Nosa Uhumwangho, the acts occurred between December 2023 and February 2024.
He informed the court that Ajimisogbe used his site, “Postreporters”, to publish a defamatory piece titled “He is a criminal and behind all illegal acts – Ex-MFM Church singer sues founder Daniel Olukoya and others, seeks N15.5bn in damages for illegal detention and breach of human rights.”
Uhumwangho claimed that the publishing of the defaming publications against Olukoya, breached Sections 27 and 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
At first, both defendants pleaded not guilty.
Ajimisogbe amended his plea after evaluating the facts against him. As part of the plea bargain, he agreed to publish a formal retraction, apologise publicly, and forfeit N50,000 to the federal government.
His lawyer, Ife Ajayi, urged the court to accept the plea bargain, noting that Ajimisogbe was a first-time offender who had expressed real sorrow and apologised to Dr Olukoya, whom he referred to as a father figure.
The prosecution, counsel for the second defendant, Ademola Adewale, and the complainant’s lawyer, Adegboye A., made no objections to the arrangement.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa accepted the plea deal and ruled, “After careful consideration of the application and the submissions from counsel, the plea bargain agreement is hereby granted. The first defendant is to forfeit N50,000 to the state.”
The court adjourned the case to June 3, 2025, for the trial of the second defendant.
