Maureen Badejo, a UK based Nigerian blogger, has been taken into custody by Nigeria Police Force officers following petitions of defamation against her by Christian clergymen
Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detained Badejo in Lagos on Friday, according to information obtained by SaharaReporters.
Maureen Badejo is presently being questioned at the police Cybercrime Unit in the state’s Adekunle, Yaba region, according to sources.
It was gathered General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, and the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, petitioned the police for Badejo’s arrest.
Although, details of the allegations contained in the petitions remain unclear as of the time of filing this report, sources said the matter is related to online publications and social media activities allegedly linked to the blogger.
As of the time this report was filed, the police was yet to issue an official statement clarifying the allegations against Maureen Badejo or the legal basis for her continued detention.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the Force Public Relations Officer, could not be reached for comment.
Recall that in August of 2023 that Maureen Badejo had turned down Apostle Suleman’s offer to pay £500 a month toward the £19,601 judgement amount that the UK High Court of Justice’s Queen’s Bench Division had awarded against him.
Meanwhile, Suleman launched a defamation complaint against Badejo, and in March 2022, the Queen’s Bench Division of the UK High Court of Justice ordered him to pay £19,601 as part of the punishment.
Maureen Badejo was later called before the court on charges of disparaging the Nigerian priest.
Additionally, Nigerians living abroad collected money for Badejo’s legal defence, according to sources. The GIOTV personality had made a plea to her supporters, admirers, and viewers for money to pay for the legal fees.
In a ruling that SaharaReporters was able to receive, UK Judge His Honour Judge Lewis denied Suleman’s claim under Claim No. QB-2022-000504 dated March 10, 2022. The court mandated that he pay £19,601 to Maureen Badejo.
Sources also revealed in December 2023 that Sunday Bawura Olowoyeye, a former pastor of MFM, had sued Olukoya, the church’s general overseer, for N1 billion on charges of unlawful and coercive imprisonment.
Olowoyeye also expressed concern about Olukoya’s purported threat to his life.
He claimed to have joined MFM in 1993 and was appointed pastor in 1995. He claimed that the church “neglected him and his family when his wife was critically ill,” which is why he left them in 2021 after being assigned to various states to serve.
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