Defamation of character: london court orders online blogger, Maureen Badejo to pay MFM founder, wife £100,000 As damages

A High Court of Justice in London, has delivered judgment in the case involving the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Worldwide, Dr. D. K. Olukoya and a United Kingdom based Nigerian blogger, Maureen Badejo, wherein it ordered her to pay £100,000 as damages to both Olukoya and his wife, Folashade.
In the document released by the spokesman to Dr. Olukoya, Mr. Collins Edomaruse, the court ordered the blogger to pay Olukoya the sum of £65,000 while the wife, Folashde be paid £35,000 for the series of defamatory publications the blogger published against the couple.

Badejo who operates an online platform called GIO Tv and many other channels was accused of using her platforms over a period of time to spread falsehoods, innuendos and misconceptions against the MFM Ministries and the person of its General Overseer and his wife.

It was gathered that 22 specific accusations were collated for appropriate response, ranging from civil to criminal matters, which ordinarily should have been tabled before specific regulatory authorities by the accusers, if the intention was noble indeed. 

However, Basejo was said to have chosen the social media platform, where the audiences are mostly gullible and people can practically get away with character assassination, if not challenged.

In the delivered judgement by Hon. Mrs Justice Tipples in the Claimant Suit No. QB-2020-003625, the court said it recognised the prolonged intense and malicious campaign conducted by Badejo against the Oluokoyas who had never even met her and did not know of her until she started her campaign.

The court also said that Badejo’s campaign went to the Olukoyas’ professional integrity and their reputations and had been widely publicised by Badejo.

It further noted that Badejo had refused to apologise in any way for her conduct.

The court then ordered her to publish a summary of its judgment across nine of her social media channels for a period of 10 days as a corrective measure to ensure the judgment reached all her viewers.

The court also averred as follows:

“Upon the first Claimant having discontinue the claim by notice dated 7 January 2021;

And upon the second and third claimants application under Paragraph 5 of the order of Master Thornett dated 13 April 2021 to have determined that the issues of damages and order under Sections 12 and 13 of the Defamation Act 2013, dated 3 August 2021 (The Remedies Application);

And upon the second and third Claimants application for contempt of court dated 2 August 2021 (The Contempt Application;

And upon reading the witnesses statements of the second claimant dates 14 October 2020, 22 October 2020, 8 December 2020 and 8 March 2021 and the affidavit of the  second claimant dated 29 July 2020 and 8 March 2021 and the affidavit of the third claimant dated 8 December 2020 and 7 january 2021;

And upon reading the witness statements of the defendant dated 12 August and 30 September 2021 to gather their exhibits;

And upon hearing Counsel for the claimants and the defendant in person in 21 and 22 October 2021 upon it appearing that the parties will be unable to agree on any of the matters under Section 12(4) of the Defamation Act 2013, therefore ordered and adjudged that;

“Damaged payable from the Defendant to the second claimant be assessed in the sum of £65,000. Thirds claimant be assessed in the sum of £35,000.”

It further ordered the defendant to publish a summary of of the judgement pursuant to Section 12(1) of the 2012 Act;

That the parties should agree on the language of any summary of the court by 10am on Monday morning, 26 October 2021.