A Nigerian blogger, Adewale Ajimisogbe, has apologised to the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr Daniel Olukoya, for cyberbullying and defaming his character.
Ajimisogbe apologised as part of plea bargaining at the Federal High Court that convicted in Lagos.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa delivered the verdict after Ajimisogbe entered into a plea bargain agreement with the police and pleaded guilty to all charges.
Ajimisogbe and a former MFM member, Ayotunde Richards, were arraigned on March 20, 2024, on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberbullying, and libel.
As ‘The Punch’ reports, both men faced three joint charges of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and defamation, Ajimisogbe alone faced nine additional counts of libel.
According to police prosecutor Nosa Uhumwangho, the offences were committed between December 2023 and February 2024.
He told the court that Ajimisogbe used his blog, “Postreporters,” to publish a defamatory article 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 said the publication violated Sections 27 and 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Initially, both defendants pleaded not guilty.
However, Ajimisogbe later changed his plea after reviewing the evidence against him. As part of the plea bargain, he agreed to publish a formal retraction, issue a public apology, and forfeit N50,000 to the federal government.
His lawyer, Ife Ajayi, asked the court to adopt the plea bargain, noting that Ajimisogbe was a first-time offender who had shown genuine remorse and apologized 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., did not object to the agreement.
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 matter to June 3, 2025, for the trial of the second defendant.
