MFM defamation: Court slams N3.5 million against lawyer

THE MFM church has been awarded N3.5 million among other penalties against Chief Oluwatoyin Sadik a Lagos based lawyer and Principal Counsel of R. O. Sadik’s Law Chambers. The church won the case against Sadik for the libellous interviews he granted to an online medium, Sahara Reporters and Crime World against the MFM and its General Overseer, Dr D.K. Olukoya. The judgement follows an action brought against the defendant in Suit Number HU/242/2017 between Incorporated Trustees of the MFM & Chief Oluwatoyin Sadik in the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo Judicial Division seeking remedy for the insulting, damaging and false content of the separate interviews. In the judgement, the presiding judge; Justice Augustine Odokwo upheld all the claims of the Plaintiff and awarded the total sum of N3.5 million as general and aggravated damages and costs against the defendant. In addition, the judge directed the defendant to tender a written apology and retraction which must be published prominently in two online media platforms and full page in two nationally circulating newspapers and two other internationally circulating magazines The judge also granted perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by himself, his agents, servants, privies and other persons from further publishing and disseminating libellous stories and statements against the MFM Ministry and Dr Olukoya. In September 2016, the defendant had in an interview with Sahara Reporters had alleged that some portion of the parcel of land housing MFM’s Prayer City Development was wrongly acquired without due compensation to his clients whom he alleged to be the rightful owners. He had also alluded that the acquisition was commercialized with portions sold at premium, all in an attempt to blackmail the MFM Ministry. He also repeated the same interview and caused the Crime World Magazine to publish same in hard copy in October 2017 with additional false and malicious statements.]]>