UK regulator freezes Mountain of Fire Ministries’ assets

UK regulator freezes Mountain of Fire Ministries’ assets

London, UK — The United Kingdom’s Charity Commission has taken the extraordinary step of freezing the assets of Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) Ministries International, citing serious governance failures and financial irregularities within its UK operations.

Founded by Nigerian pastor Daniel Olukoya, the church is now the subject of a formal inquiry following allegations of misappropriation of charitable funds and widespread administrative lapses. In a report released Monday, the Commission revealed that MFM’s UK charity arm had failed to maintain oversight of more than 100 bank accounts operated independently by its branches.

“Branches operated autonomously, opening bank accounts without central oversight and failing to report income in a timely manner,” the Commission stated. “This created substantial risks to charitable funds and resulted in inaccurate financial reporting.”

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The investigation found that individual branches were making major financial decisions—including property purchases and lease agreements—without the knowledge or authorization of the charity’s trustees. The regulator concluded that the lack of proper oversight had led to financial losses, prompting the decision to freeze the charity’s assets to prevent further damage.

MFM spokesperson Dan Aibangbe did not respond to requests for comment.

This is not the first time the church’s UK branch has come under scrutiny. In 2019, the Commission appointed an interim manager to oversee its operations after repeated failures to submit financial statements and what it described as “serious administrative weaknesses.”

The Commission has taken similar action against other religious organizations, including Christ Embassy—the UK arm of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s church—over comparable concerns regarding financial accountability.

The inquiry into MFM Ministries remains ongoing.

UK regulator freezes Mountain of Fire Ministries’ assets