US Appeal Court upholds $300,000 defamation damages against blogger in MFM case

By Benedicta Aboh

The United States Court of Appeal sitting in Maryland has upheld a $300,000 fine imposed on controversial blogger, Funke Ashekun, in a defamation case involving the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. D.K. Olukoya, and the church.

The appellate court’s decision, delivered on May 7, 2026, in the case of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries USA, INC vs. Olufunke Ashekun, also granted the appellee’s Motion to Dismiss the appeal.

As a result, Ashekun’s appeal was dismissed in line with Maryland law.

The original judgment, delivered on March 13, 2026, by a Circuit Court in Baltimore County, found Ashekun liable for defamation and false light claims brought by MFM USA, leading to compensatory damages, including $300,000 in fines and an additional $50,000 awarded to the church.

Court documents indicate that the appellate court agreed the grounds of Ashekun’s appeal lacked merit, thereby affirming the lower court’s ruling.

Following the judgment, reports alleged that Ashekun and her husband experienced a medical emergency inside the courtroom, prompting an ambulance response to take them to a hospital.

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries USA, INC welcomed the appellate court’s ruling, stating that the decision reinforced the validity of the original judgment and the findings of defamation against Ashekun.