Nigerian social media influencer and YouTuber, Funke Ashekun, has accused Dr. Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), of inappropriate conduct. In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, Ashekun, who spent nearly two decades as a minister in the church, shared her troubling experiences.
Ashekun was deeply involved in the church’s activities, training worship ministers internationally and leading the singles’ fellowship, Padu. She recounted an unsettling incident that allegedly occurred when she visited Olukoya’s office—not for deliverance, but to submit an official report on a singles’ fellowship event.
During the meeting, Olukoya allegedly pulled her close, pressed his forehead against hers, and instructed her to look directly into his eyes. “As soon as I did, I felt something strange—almost like hypnosis. It was deeply unsettling,” she recalled.
At the time, Ashekun did not suspect any wrongdoing, as Olukoya was known for preaching about holiness and deliverance. However, after relocating to the U.S., she began receiving messages from other women who described similar encounters. “They told me they lost consciousness when he did this to them,” she claimed. “That’s when I realized it wasn’t just discomfort; it was hypnosis. I am grateful I didn’t lose consciousness that day, or I might have become another victim.”
Before leaving Nigeria, Ashekun met a woman who claimed she had suffered years of sexual abuse by Olukoya and was suicidal as a result. “She was brought to my husband and me for prayers. That was the first time I heard allegations of sexual assault against him. I was shocked—could this really be happening in the same church we attended?”
Ashekun alleged that multiple women shared similar stories, stating that Olukoya targeted young girls, single mothers, and financially vulnerable women under the guise of spiritual deliverance. She claimed that he would tell these women they had a “snake in their womb” preventing them from getting married, then take them into his private bathroom for supposed deliverance.
“When I first spoke out, people attacked me, insisting there was no toilet in his office. But not everyone was allowed in. The victims insisted that he only took specific individuals there,” she stated.
According to Ashekun, some victims reported experiencing strange spiritual attacks after these encounters. One woman claimed that after being assaulted, Olukoya wiped away any physical evidence. “As Africans, we understand what that means. It sounded ritualistic,” she said.
Perhaps most disturbing were allegations that Olukoya secretly recorded these encounters without the victims’ consent. “Afterward, they would receive video clips of themselves during the assault,” Ashekun asserted. “One victim even sent me a video. I watched it and saw Olukoya himself reaching for the camera to turn it off.”
She further alleged that Olukoya’s inner circle confirmed he possessed advanced recording devices disguised as everyday objects like pens or buttons. Additionally, she mentioned an individual named Akweji, who allegedly procured women for Olukoya. “He admitted this on my show and confirmed that Olukoya forwarded some of these recordings to a third party.”
Despite her efforts to expose these allegations, Ashekun claimed mainstream media outlets have hesitated to report on them due to fear of retaliation. She also alleged that Olukoya frequently retaliates against whistleblowers by filing multiple lawsuits. “I am currently facing four lawsuits here in the U.S.,” she revealed.
Attempts to obtain a response from MFM’s spokesperson, Mr. Collins Edomaruse, were unsuccessful.