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Alleged Misappropriation: MFM Accuses UK Agency Of Discrimination

Published

1 month 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

Otuaro Pledges To Expand PAP Scholarship As Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities

Published

5 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has expressed his unwavering commitment to expanding the PAP scholarship scheme.

The PAP boss made the pledge at a graduation reception for nine students who were awarded foreign post-graduate scholarships by PAP in universities in the United Kingdom.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, said the successful scholars are the first graduates in the offshore post-graduate scholarship deployment to UK institutions by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic session.

According to the statement, they graduated from the Anglia Ruskin University, University of Dundee and The University of Law with master’s degrees in cyber security, data science and engineering, law, construction and civil engineering management, project management, and ICT.

Otuaro disclosed in the statement that 711 undergraduate and post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries are expected to graduate from universities within Nigeria this year.

According to Otuaro, the expansion of the scholarship scheme is aimed at creating more opportunities for indigent students of Niger Delta extraction to access higher education with a view to closing the human capital development gap in the region.

Otuaro said it was for this reason he deployed 3800 beneficiaries in-country in the 2024-2025 academic year, and increased the figure to 3900 in the 2025-2026 academic session with 200 for foreign scholarships.

He said under his administration, 7700 students have been so far deployed for the PAP scholarship scheme within Nigeria in less than two years.

According to him, aince he took over, he has deployed 162 students from the region for post-graduate programmes in targeted disciplines in the UK universities.

According to him, this is in conformity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the Niger Delta, who has given unprecedented support to the PAP because of his sincere love for the area.

The PAP boss said, “Our decision aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the Niger Delta. We will continue to create more higher educational opportunities for students from indigent backgrounds in our region.

“We are also deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate in informal education and other areas for the sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement of the region.”

Otuaro, who congratulated the master’s graduates on their successful graduation, stressed that they completed their programmes in record time which shows the seriousness they had put into their studies.

He said they have justified the Federal Government’s investment in their education with their successful graduation, and urged other beneficiaries not to be distracted in their academic pursuits.

“We congratulate these scholars on their successful graduation. It shows that they took their studies seriously. That is what we demand of every scholarship beneficiary, whether at the undergraduate or post-graduate level”, Otuaro said.

News

Okpebholo Declares Edo Business-friendly

Published

8 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Friday declared the state as Edo business-friendly environment and ready to welcome any investor to the state.

The governor spoke when he played host to members of the South – South Coalition of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (COSSCIMA).

The governor, who received his guests through the Office of the Deputy Governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, said his administration has provided the enabling environment for investors to promote their businesses.

The governor commended the COSSCIMA for deeming it fit to choose the stata as host to the annual general meeting of the body.

“It is not surprising that you pick the state as a choice because we have provided the enabling environment by investing in infrastructure and reducing insecurity to the barest minimum.

“So, we assured potential investors that the state is safe, secured for all to come and invest,” he stated.

Also speaking, Hon. Omoh Anabor, Commissioner for Business, Trade, and Investment, said that the state was ready to partner any firm.

Earlier in his address, President of COSSCIMA, Hon. Indutimi komonibo said, “The Edo State Governor is doing a great job.

He, however, pointed out that nonetheless reiterated, “No government can succeed without partnering with the organized private sector.”

“We seek collaboration wherever we go. We carry the emblem of national development. Investors are looking for where their business will thrive. We understand the language of the business.”

He stated that COSSCIMA membership cut across the six Chambers of Commerce that make up the South-South states of the federation.

News

Oba Of Benin Suspends Priest, Reaffirms Appointment Of Okao

Published

8 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare the second, has suspended the traditional priest of Uniamen Village, Chief Sunday Sidney Enoma as the Ohen-Ovia of Unuamen for violating the custom and traditional of Benin.

The Monarch reaffirmed Chief Kingsley Igbinosa as the Okao (traditional head) of Unuamen Village, in Ovia North East local Government Area of Edo State.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Osaigbovo Iguobaro, the Oba described the claim by the suspended Ohen of Unuamen that he is the one who usually installs the Okao of the village as baseless, unfounded and abominable.

The Benin Monarch noted that all Chieftaincy titles in Benin kingdom are conferred by the Oba.