US court declines jurisdiction in MFM’s Olukoya libel suit against Badejo, the United Kingdom blogger.

A case instituted against a United Kingdom-based blogger, Maureen Badejo, for libellous publications against the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (Worldwide), Dr Daniel Olukoya, at the United States District Court, in the Northern District of California, has been dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction by the court.

Starnews Nigeria reports that the court also denied pastor Olukoya a motion filed to seek a default judgement against the Popular blogger, Badejo.

Recalled that an Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta had on February, in a default judgment, slammed N500 million damages against Maureen Badejo, for libellous publications against the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (Worldwide), Dr Daniel Olukoya, and the church.

The Court also granted “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by herself, her agents, servants, privies or other persons howsoever called or described from further making, publishing and/or disseminating defamatory stories and statements about the claimants or any one of them.”

But the case has since been appealed by Badejo who said she was not heard by the court and was not aware of such a case in Nigeria because according to her, “she was not served and does not reside in Nigeria”.

In a similar case in the United Kingdom High Court, Queen’s Bench Division, Badejo has approached an appellate court to set aside a judgement delivered in favour of Dr Olukoya and his Church by the Queen’s Bench Division High Court where a perpetual injunction was obtained by Pastor Olukoya and his church, MFM, restraining her (Maureen Badejo), from further publishing defamatory words against or concerning Dr Daniel Olukoya, his family, and his church, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.

But in the recent judgement by the US court, the case instituted against Badejo by Dr Olukoya was dismissed.

Because the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Defendants, Plaintiffs’ motion for default judgment is DENIED, and the case is DISMISSED. The Clerk is directed to TERMINATE the case. IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated: May 6, 2021”, Justice Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., the United States District Judge

The Lagos State Police Command on Monday granted N500,000 bail to detained Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as, Baba Ijesha for alleged sexual assault.

His lawyer, Adesina Ogunlana in a telephone call told Vanguard that his client was granted administrative bail by the police in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties.

He said: ” Yes I can confirm to you that my client has been granted bail by the police. The terms of the bail include two reliable sureties- a blood relation and a level 10 civil servant. We are currently working to meet the bail conditions.”

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has warned that the end of the Nigeria as a united country is becoming more and more likely, following calls by 17 Southern governors requesting for President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the country.

The ACF made the statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, in response to resolutions reached by the governors at a meeting in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday.

The Governors in the same meeting, also banned open grazing and advised Buhari to convoke a national dialogue to address the salient issues confronting the nation.

But Yawe said while the ACF supports ban on open grazing, he however said before deciding on the restructuring of the federation, the nation must first decide whether it wants to remain one indissoluble unit or not.

“Our position on this is informed by the fact that some of the advocates of restructuring are at the same time advocating the dissolution of Nigeria. Are they believers in Nigeria at all? We must all agree to let Nigeria be, before we move forward,” Yawe told The Punch.

ACF said it had nothing against the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to address Nigerians on the concrete steps he has been taking to address insecurity in the land.

“There is nothing wrong with their call on the President to talk to Nigerians. As a politician, he should jump at any opportunity to communicate with the electorate.

“On the issue of ban on open grazing, I don’t think there is problem here with the stand of the ACF.

“At our last National Working Committee meeting in Kaduna, the national leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria spoke to us at length.

“He said he and his organisation had decided that the only way forward, and that in the interest of MACABAN, was to embark on ranching and that they were waiting for government’s policy.

“If MACABAN wants open grazing banned, not only in the southern part of Nigeria but all over Nigeria, who are we to say otherwise?

“On the issue of dialogue, the ACF has always believed in this if the aim of the dialogue is to promote the unity and progress of the whole country, our forum will hold dialogue with any state and group of people that share our cherished ideals of unity, justice, peace and progress,” Yawe stated.