MFM, Olukoya file N2b libel suit against Sahara Reporters, others

MOUNTAIN of Fire & Miracles Ministries (MFM) General Overseer  Dr. D.K. Olukoya has filed a N2 billion suit against Sahara Reporters Publisher Mr. Omoyele Sowore for defamation of character.

The MFM is the first claimant in the suit filed in the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo.

The second and third defendants in the suit are Sahara Reporters Incorporation and  Objective Media Group Limited.

MFM and Olukoya are claiming N2 billion against the defendants for alleged aggravated libel.

The claimants are asking for an order of the court directing the defendants to pull down and erase each of the offending posts from the internet forthwith.

They are also praying for an order directing the defendants to tender written apology and retraction in form and content acceptable to the claimants and published prominently in Sahara Reporters online news media, on Facebook and in at least three nationally circulating newspapers and two international magazines, including TIME International.

They in addition sought an order of  perpetual injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, his agents, servants, privies or other persons howsoever called or described, from further making, publishing and/or disseminating libellous stories and statements against the claimants or any one of them.

The claimant in the suit alleged that on September 4, 2018, the first and second defendants, using the second defendant’s Objective Media Group Limited, made and posted a video recording of Sowore addressing a crowd of his purported political supporters on their respective Facebook pages under the heading “Breaking! Sowore Reveals Why MFM General Overseer Daniel Olukoya Is After Him, as He Arrives Lagos”.

Sowore was alleged to have falsely and maliciously said to have spoken and published against the claimants the following words inter alia namely: “On Olukoya, very important because this is the latest that happened. I have done reporting on many cabals and you know in this country there are religious cabals, political cabals, traditional cabals and family cabals so I touched all of them not only Olukoya.  Remember the one that was sleeping with a prostitute in Canada… It was then that he then  went and looked for a Judge in Uyo. Imagine a man of God that is on Lagos – Ibadan Expressway now going to look for a judge in a case that doesn’t even involve them.

“My suspicion is that they found a judge who is probably a member of their Church who said that he will teach Sowore a lesson. That is not going to happen…”

Also in their joint statement of claim filed in the case, the claimants averred that they had earlier commenced a suit against Sowore and two others to claim sundry reliefs for libel.

They averred that after being served with court processes in that case, Sowore allegedly took to his Facebook page to falsely and maliciously write and publish concerning the claimants, particularly the second claimant.

The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit.