Court Restrains Nigeria Police From Arresting Wife Of Ex-MFM Church Member Remanded In Prison For Alleged Libel Against Church Founder, Olukoya
An Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu has restrained the Nigerian police from arresting, detaining, questioning and prosecuting Sholabomi, the wife of Ayotunde Richards, a gospel singer and former member of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) remanded in Ikoyi Prison.
SaharaReporters had reported that at least eight police officers from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja stormed Sholabomi’s house in the Magboro area of Ogun last Wednesday evening to arrest her.
The police claimed that there was a petition against her but failed to show her the petition.
This was confirmed by the family’s lawyer, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, in a video he posted on Facebook last Wednesday titled, ‘Latest On The Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministry (MFM) Vs The Ayotunde Richards Family.’
He explained that the police obtained her statement without showing her the petition written against her by MFM.
According to the lawyer, the police personnel later decided not to arrest her because doing so would leave her three young children without any adult to care for them.
However, in a document obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, the presiding judge, Justice Tajudeen A. Okunsokan, issued the restraining order following an ex parte application filed by Mr Ogunlana over the police request for her to report to their office in Abuja.
The 1st to 4th Respondents in the application are Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya (General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Miracles Ministry); Incorporated Trustees of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry; Superintendent of Police, Suleiman (Federal Criminal Investigation Department {FCID} Abuja) and Nigeria Police Force.
The document reads in part, “An order of interim injunction restraining the 3rd and 4th Respondents from arresting, detaining, questioning and prosecuting the Applicant pending the service of the Applicant’s processes/Application for the enforcement of her fundamental rights and the hearing of same by the Honourable Court.
“And such further or other orders this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.
“UPON reading the Application and Affidavit in Support of Sholabomi Richard, Female, Christian, Nigerian Citizen, house-wife of House 14, Eagle Estate, Magala, Magboro, Ogun State sworn to and filed at the High Court Registry. Sagamu, Ogun State on the 8th day of May, 2024.
“Coming up for hearing before His Lordship, Honourable Justice Tajudeen A. Okunsokan – Judge, in the presence of Adesina Ogunlana Esq. of Counsel (with him, Kabirat Adetoro Esq.) for the Applicant on the 9th day of May 2024.
“And after hearing Adesina Ogunlana Esq. who moved the Motion Ex-parte dated the 7th day of May, 2024 and filed on the 8th day of May, 2024, the Court ruled and ordered as follows:
“The 3rd and 4th Respondents are hereby restrained from taking any further steps in connection with this matter pending the hearing of the Originating Application for the enforcement of the Applicant’s fundamental rights.”
Meanwhile, her husband (Ayotunde Richards) is still in prison after he was remanded over alleged cyberbullying and libel against the MFM General Overseer, Olukoya.
A Federal High Court in Lagos granted Richards bail but he has yet to fulfil the bail conditions.
