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Alleged Misappropriation: MFM Accuses UK Agency Of Discrimination

Published

3 weeks ago

October 26, 2025

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International has accused the UK Charity Commission of bias and being discriminatory in its report that alleged the church engaged in financial mismanagement.

MFM denied that its UK branch’s accounts were frozen due to financial mismanagement by its trustees.

According to a report by The Cable, the UK Charity Commission had frozen assets belonging to MFM over transparency concerns.

The commission said it opened an inquiry after financial concerns were identified, including the alleged misappropriation of charity funds.

The inquiry found that trustees in the MFM charity wing could not demonstrate that they had adequate oversight or control over more than 100 bank accounts operated by individual branches.

But reacting to the allegations in a statement on Saturday by its spokesperson, Dan Aibangbe, the church described the commission’s action as “a gross distortion of facts and a deliberate mischaracterisation of a closed chapter.”

MFM insisted that no wrongdoing or fraud was ever found against its trustees.

“The issues raised were related to administrative governance, not a finding of fraudulent activity by the trustee body. This matter is old and not a fresh development. It is misleading to present it as a current scandal,” the church said.

In the statement titled ‘A Point-by-Point Rebuttal: Setting the Record Straight on the MFM–UK Charity Commission Matter,’ the church said none of its bank accounts were frozen, describing such claims as “a complete fabrication.”

The statement added, “No bank accounts belonging to MFM were ever frozen. The commission’s report identified no evidence of systemic financial misconduct by the trustees. The entire process was a display of overreach, not an exposure of fraud.”

MFM maintained that the Charity Commission acted “not on concrete evidence but on rumours and gossip,” claiming that the regulator’s expectations of uncovering large-scale fraud proved unfounded after it gained access to the church’s financial records.

“When the Commission examined the records, it found nothing of the sort. Rather than close the case honourably, it embarked on a fault-finding mission, highlighting minor administrative discrepancies to justify its intrusion,” it added.

The church further described the commission’s actions as part of a pattern of procedural flaws, recalling that MFM had previously challenged the regulator’s methods in a British court and secured a judgment against what it described as “improper procedures and overreach.”

MFM disclosed that following the probe, the Charity Commission appointed an interim manager to oversee MFM’s UK operations, but the individual’s five-year tenure was more about revenue generation than stewardship.

“The interim manager showed no genuine interest in the church’s ministry, never visiting a single MFM branch in the UK throughout his tenure. Yet, he charged the church a staggering £2 million for his ‘services’—a colossal fee for a process that yielded no evidence of wrongdoing,” the church said.

“The five-year ordeal was not about protection but predation. What the Commission spent half a decade attempting to prove could have been resolved through cooperative guidance in a single month.”

The church emphasised that the concerns identified by the Commission were administrative in nature, arising largely from the rapid growth of MFM’s UK operations, which had outpaced its volunteer-run governance framework.

“The most powerful testament to the church’s integrity is this: not a single penny was mismanaged by the trustees,” Aibangbe said. “The issues raised were purely related to governance and record-keeping in a fast-growing organisation, not the diversion or theft of funds.

“Crucially, the leadership was already aware of the administrative gaps and had started taking steps to professionalise its governance structure. The Commission’s premature and heavy-handed investigation punished the church for being a victim of its own success,” the church added.

Describing the investigation as “a biased, costly, and ultimately baseless persecution,” MFM said the experience reflected deeper prejudices against African-founded churches operating in the UK.

The church said it remains committed to transparency and accountability but called for fair treatment of faith-based organisations, regardless of their ethnic or cultural origins.

“The entire ordeal reeks of discriminatory and arrogant oversight,” Aibangbe said. “It was a display of institutional overreach, leveraging state power to burden and punish a thriving faith community.

“The truth has prevailed, and the church marches on—stronger and wiser,” it added.

News

JUST IN: PDP Axes Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others For Anti-party Activities

Published

18 minutes ago

November 15, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party at its ongoing 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday expelled high-profile members including Federal Capital Minister, Nyesom Wike, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), former Governor Ayo Fayose, Austin Nwachukwu, and several others for anti-party activities.

The action was “promptly ratified by an overwhelming majority of delegates,” highlighting the party’s “commitment to restoring unity, discipline, and focus ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

This is according to the official statement released by @OfficialPDPNig across its social media handles, which read, “In a landmark move to restore unity, discipline, and focus ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its ongoing 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, has expelled high-profile members Nyesom Wike, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), former Governor Ayo Fayose, Austin Nwachukwu, and several others.”

News

No Policeman Should Search Your Phone On The Road – Lagos CP

Published

12 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, has reiterated that no security ooerative has the right to search people’s phones on the road.

CP Jimoh said this on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Police–Youth Dialogue Programme organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development at Alausa, Ikeja, where he also told Lagosians that their phones are their personal belongings.

“Some people put me on TikTok where I said it that no policeman should search your phone on the road, I still stand by that order,” he said.

Jimoh said that the Lagos State Police Command is committed to strengthening its relationship with young people through continuous dialogue, community partnerships, and empowerment initiatives.

Speaking further at the event, with the theme, “The Power of Partnership: Cultural Trust and Understanding Between Youth and Law Enforcement Agencies,” which brought together police officers, youth representatives, civil society groups, and government officials, the CP described the youth as the “mirror of the society”.

The police commissioner talked about the critical role of young people in shaping policies and holding institutions accountable.

“The youth population is vibrant, innovative, and forward-thinking; they represent the energy that drives our economy and defines our culture,” Jimoh said.

“This programme has erased so many longstanding gaps and misunderstandings between the police and young people in the state.”

According to him, there are several initiatives aimed at improving police–youth relations, including the appointment of information officers across all area commands and the expansion of gender units to enhance the protection of women and children.

Jimoh also announced the launch of a new initiative, “Bail is Free,” with the CP making a promise that bail services would now be provided free of charge in all the police divisions across Lagos State.

“As part of the initiative, I have distributed complimentary cards bearing my signature, which guarantee free bail services across all police divisions in the state,” he said.

CP Jimoh also called on the youth to familiarise themselves with the law, noting that knowledge of their rights and responsibilities would help reduce friction with law enforcement.

“Partnership is not just a slogan; it is an active process of dialogue, respect, and adaptability. We listen more, judge less, and work together for a common goal,” he stated.

Jimoh added that the dialogue programme was a reflection of Lagos State’s vision of proactive community policing and youth empowerment, aimed at fostering trust, accountability, and security in Nigeria’s commercial hub.

News

Obiano’s Ex-aide Opens Up On Rumoured Former Anambra Gov’s Death

Published

23 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Editor

The former Anambra State Commissioner for Information under Governor Willie Obiano, Mr C-Don Adinuba, has debunked rumours of the ex-governor’s death, confirming that Obiano is hale and hearty in Houston, United States, where he currently resides.

Claims had circulated on social media suggesting that Obiano, who served as governor of Anambra State from 2014 to 2022, had died in London.

Adinuba, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, described the reports as “provocative” and “unfounded,” insisting that the former governor is alive and well with his family in the US.

He said, “I have been asked some probing questions by journalists and have heard a provocative rumour about the death of former Governor Willie Obiano. The rumour is not true. I just spoke with the former governor and members of his family a few minutes ago. He is hale and hearty in Houston, United States, where he resides.

“Contrary to the reports, Obiano is not in London and has not been hospitalised. He is strong, hale, and hearty, and bouncing in the US. Ignore the rumour—it is not from a credible source. Please, the report is fake; Obiano is still alive.”

Adinuba urged the public to disregard the claims.

Obiano’s personal publicist, Tony Nezianya, also told The PUNCH that he had not received any information confirming the rumours.

He said, “I can’t confirm this; I am not aware of such news.”

Obiano served as governor of Anambra State from 2014 to 2022, succeeding Peter Obi, and handed over to the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, in March 2022.

He hails from Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area and was born on August 8, 1955.

Obiano is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N4 billion fraud.