Former MFM Pastor Femi Jimoh Dies After Years of Detention, Legal Dispute

Former MFM Pastor Femi Jimoh Dies After Years of Detention, Legal Dispute 

Former pastor of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, Femi Jimoh, has reportedly died, years after his release from a prolonged detention that became the centre of a bitter legal dispute involving the church.

Jimoh’s death was reported on Thursday, August 20, 2026, by UK-based Nigerian blogger Maureen Badejo and subsequently reported by Sahara Reporters and other media platforms. Reports said the former pastor had battled serious health challenges following his years in detention and an alleged gunshot injury to his leg. However, the specific cause of his death has not been independently established.

His death has brought renewed attention to the controversial case in which he and two other former MFM pastors were accused of conspiring to rob the church.

Jimoh was arrested in January 2008 and subsequently prosecuted alongside Henry Aiyewero and Caleb Oloruntele over allegations connected with a planned robbery of MFM.

Court records later showed that Jimoh remained in custody for about eight years before he was discharged and acquitted by a Lagos State High Court. The National Industrial Court, in a subsequent judgment concerning his employment dispute with MFM, noted that he had been arrested on January 25, 2008, prosecuted for robbery and conspiracy to rob the church, and remained incarcerated until his acquittal and discharge.

Following his release, Jimoh became increasingly vocal about his experience in detention. His account gained widespread attention after a 2024 interview with Yoruba Gidi TV, during which he alleged that his ordeal had begun after he encountered Michael Gbadamosi, who was then the Chief Security Officer to MFM founder, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, at the residence of a native doctor.

Jimoh alleged that he was subsequently arrested and detained without knowing the offence for which he was being held.

He further claimed that he was initially kept in a cell for about 30 days without access to a lawyer and was later subjected to physical abuse.

According to his account, he was handcuffed and transported in the boot of a vehicle before being taken to Olukoya’s residence. He alleged that he pleaded with the MFM founder not to allow him to be returned to police custody because he did not understand why he was being detained.

Jimoh also made the serious allegation that a Divisional Police Officer shot him in the leg during his detention.

He claimed that he was subsequently taken to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, where he and others allegedly spent several weeks before being charged with offences including conspiracy, armed robbery and felony. These allegations were made by Jimoh and have not been independently established as facts.

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries strongly rejected Jimoh’s allegations.

In a statement issued in 2024, the church denied that it or its General Overseer, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, had imprisoned Jimoh or Caleb Oloruntele for nine years.

MFM’s Chief Legal Adviser, Davidson Adejuwon, described the allegations as false and maintained that the church did not frame the former pastors or cause them to remain in custody. The church also disputed claims that Olukoya had used his influence to secure their prolonged detention.

MFM maintained that the criminal case was a matter between the accused persons and the relevant law-enforcement and prosecuting authorities, rather than an action in which the church had unlawfully detained them.

The controversy did not end with Jimoh’s release.

He subsequently instituted proceedings concerning his employment relationship with MFM, including claims relating to his salary and employment status during the period he was incarcerated.

In its judgment, the National Industrial Court examined the circumstances surrounding his arrest and prolonged incarceration.

The court record stated that MFM had argued that Jimoh had effectively abandoned his employment because of his prolonged absence. The church also maintained that his arrest and prosecution were undertaken by the police and the Lagos State authorities and were not caused by the church in the manner alleged by Jimoh.

The court, however, found that Jimoh could not reasonably be regarded as having voluntarily absconded from work because he was in custody following his arrest and prosecution. The judgment noted that he had remained incarcerated for about eight years until his acquittal and discharge.

The legal battle therefore became a separate chapter in the long-running controversy surrounding his relationship with the church.

The criminal case eventually ended in Jimoh’s favour when the Lagos State High Court discharged and acquitted him and the other defendants.

The acquittal became a central part of Jimoh’s subsequent public account of his experience, particularly his argument that he had spent years in custody over allegations he maintained were unfounded.

However, the acquittal did not resolve all the disagreements between Jimoh and MFM, with the former pastor continuing to make allegations against the church and its leadership, while MFM consistently rejected his claims.

Jimoh’s reported death has now revived public interest in the circumstances surrounding his arrest, years-long detention and subsequent legal battles.

His supporters and commentators have questioned why he spent so many years in custody before the conclusion of his trial, while others have pointed to the need to distinguish between allegations made by the late pastor and matters established by the courts.

For now, reports surrounding his death remain subject to further confirmation, particularly regarding the circumstances and medical cause of his passing.

The controversy surrounding his detention also remains a complex matter involving allegations by Jimoh, denials by MFM and documented court proceedings.

As news of his death spread on Thursday, tributes and reactions began emerging online, with many Nigerians recalling the former pastor’s emotional accounts of his years in custody and the prolonged dispute that followed his release.

Jimoh’s death marks the end of the life of a former MFM minister whose name became closely associated with one of the most controversial detention and church-related legal disputes to attract significant public attention in Nigeria in recent years.

For the family, former colleagues and supporters, however, the immediate focus is likely to be on mourning his passing, while questions surrounding his long detention and the events that followed continue to generate public debate.

 

Former MFM Pastor Femi Jimoh Dies After Years of Detention, Legal Dispute