Court fines blogger arraigned for defaming Olukoya after plea bargain

The federal high court in Lagos has accepted the plea bargain of Adewale Ajimisogbe, a blogger, who was arraigned for defaming Daniel Olukoya, general overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM).

In 2024, Ayotunde Richards, a former MFM member, and Ajimisogbe were arraigned before the court on charges bordering on conspiracy, cyber bullying, cyberstalking, and defamation.

While the duo were jointly arraigned on three counts, Ajimisogbe was slammed with an additional nine counts of libel. The duo were arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Initially, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Nosa Uhumwangho, the police prosecutor, informed the court that the alleged offences occurred between December 2023 and February 2024.

The police prosecutor said Ajimisogbe published a defamatory post against Olukoya via a blog site.

Later, the blogger pleaded guilty to the charges and entered a plea bargain with the prosecutor.

In the plea bargain document, Ajimisogbe agreed to retract the publication against Olukoya, and publish an apology letter, and pay a fine of N50,000 to the account of the country.

Ife Ajayi, counsel to the blogger, appealed to the court to accept the terms of the plea bargain, saying that his client was a first-time offender with no previous criminal record.

Ajayi said his client had expressed remorse and offered an unreserved apology to the nominal complainant, who he regards as a father figure, and promised not to repeat his actions in the future.

The police prosecutor, Ademola Adewale, counsel for the second defendant, and lawyer representing the nominal complainant, did not oppose the application.

In his ruling, Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, the judge, accepted the terms of the plea bargain.

“After careful consideration of the application and the submissions from counsel, the plea bargain agreement is hereby granted,” the judge ruled.

“The first defendant is to forfeit N50,000 to the state.”

The judge adjourned the case to June 3, 2025, for the trial of the second defendant.