Sunday Bawura Olowoyeye, a former pastor at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), has initiated a N1 billion legal action against the church’s General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
Olowoyeye alleges wrongful and oppressive detention and claims to have faced threats to his life from Olukoya.
Olowoyeye, who has been associated with MFM since 1993 and became a pastor in 1995, expressed concerns over his safety. He stated that for two weeks, he couldn’t stay in his home due to fears for his life, attributing these threats to Olukoya.
Highlighting a personal grievance, Olowoyeye recounted a distressing incident where the church allegedly neglected him and his family during his wife’s severe illness. Despite seeking assistance from MFM, he claimed they offered no support. When he voiced his concerns and demanded his overdue five months’ salary, the church terminated his services in 2021.
Adding to his claims, Olowoyeye detailed a 16-day detention at F.C.I.D Alagbon, Lagos, reportedly on Olukoya’s orders. This detention, he claims, followed his airing of grievances to blogger Maureen Badejo, who broadcasted his story. He further alleged that, under coercion, he was made to produce a video retracting his complaints against Olukoya.
Recent developments also saw another MFM member, Samuel Kayode Augustus, purportedly threatening Olowoyeye with a recurrence of his past traumatic experience at F.C.I.D Alagbon.
Among other reliefs, Baruwa is seeking an,
“Order of perpetual injunction restraining Olukoya and other respondents whether by themselves or their offices, servants, agents, representatives, privies whatsoever from further arresting, harassing, detaining, assaulting, molesting, intimidating or coercing in any manner, the Applicant over his complaint against the 1st and 2nd Respondents to Maureen Badejo, a blogger except by a competent order of a court”
The motion partly reads; “TAKE NOTICE that this Honourable Court will be moved on the day of 2023 at the hour of 9’0 clock in the forenoon or so soon thereafter as counsel may be heard on behalf of the Applicant for the following reliefs:
“A DECLARATION that the Applicant has constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and the freedom of movement and liberty, freedom to dignity of human person as contained in Sections 34,35,36 and 39 of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
“A DECLARATION that the arrest of the Applicant on May 28 2021 by the Respondents was illegal, abuse of powers, executed with excessive force and a violent breach of right to free movement guaranteed under section 41 the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
“A DECLARATION that the detention of the Applicant from May 28 2021 to June 13 2021 by the 1-3 Respondents at Alagbon Police Station, Ikoyi Lagos was a gross breach to the Applicant’s right to personal liberty, illegal and unjustifiable and contrary to Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
“A DECLARATION that the violent arrest and 16 days (May 28 2021-June 13 2021) detention of the Applicant was a deliberate, illegal dehumanisation and torture of the Applicant and is a violent breach of his rights to dignity to human person and freedom from torture and contrary to Sections 34, 35, 36 and 39 of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
“A DECLARATION that the arrest and 16 days detention of the Applicant by the Respondents was deliberate calculated and aimed only at inducing and forcing him to retract and denounce his allegation of maltreatment and cheating against the 1st Respondent.
“A DECLARATION that the forcing of the Applicant by way of torture, cajoling and fraudulent premise to pay him ten million naira to RETRACT and DENOUNCE his complaints and grievances against the 1st Respondent to one blogger Maureen Badejo, is illegal and a gross breach of his fundamental human rights to freedom of expression as enshrined in Sections 34 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
“AN ORDER that the Respondents pay in damages to the Applicant the sum of 250 million naira for their unlawful and violent arrest of the Applicant on May 28, 2021 at Surulere, Lagos.
“AN ORDER that the Respondents pay in damages to the Applicant the sum of 250 million naira for their illegal and oppressive detention of the Applicant at Alagbon Police Station from May 28 2021 to June 13 2021.
“AN ORDER that the Respondents pay in damages to the Applicant the sum of 250 million naira for their humiliation, torture, emotional anguish, disruption of family life, and psychological trauma of the Applicant.
“AN ORDER that the Respondents pay in damages to the Applicant the sum of 250 million naira for the breach of the Applicant’s freedom of expression on the issue of his stoppage of his salary and wrongful dismissal from work by the Respondent’s organisation (Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry) and as communicated to one Maureen Badejo by forcing him at gunpoint after 16 days of detention to RECOUNT on his earlier position and complaint of being maltreated by the 1st Respondent and his religious organisation (MFM).
“AN ORDER for the 1st-3rd Respondents each, to issue a letter of unconditional apology under the auspices of Nigerian Police (Force) to the Applicant for their illegal, oppressive and brazenly unconstitutional act against the Applicant from May 28 2021 and publishing same apology conspicuously in the Guardian Newspaper and Punch Newspaper.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining all Respondents whether by themselves or their offices, servants, agents, representatives, privies whatsoever from further arresting, harassing, detaining, assaulting, molesting, intimidating or coercing in any manner, the Applicant over his complaint against the 1st and 2nd Respondents to Maureen Badejo, a blogger except by a competent order of a court.
“AND FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this suit.”
The respondent parties in the lawsuit, represented by the applicant’s legal team headed by Adesina Ogunlana, include the Incorporated Trustees of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, Superintendent of Police Tawose Ayoleyi from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department in Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, and the Nigerian Police Force.
Additionally, Ogunlana, the applicant’s lawyer, mentioned that the case is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, presided over by Justice Taiwo Oladokun.
| Sahara Reporters
