Mountain On Fire Members Detain Saharareporter Publisher In Lagos

Security and Task Force team at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, harassed, molested and detained illegally a renowned citizen journalist who attempted to report a New Year’s Eve crossover night service at the church headquarters along the popular Lagos-Ibadan express road.

Omoyele Mr. Sowore, publisher of Saharareporters, accompanied by Lagos-based citizen journalist, Segun O’Law another journalist, who report for the site from Lagos,  stopped over at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church to cover the said crossover night service, but a joint task force of the church made up of personal church security, armed police and the State Security Service turned the church into a rights violation ground.

The journalists did a stopover at MFM, as they were hinted that the church has one of the largest gatherings within the city that night.

The crossover night event is one of numerous church services in which every church establishment gets its largest congregations in the night preceding the New Year, seeing the congregants waiting ecstatically with prayers for a new year of blessing and miracles.

But authorities of the church declined to respond to the allegations. A man who answered our reporter’s call declined comments, saying we should come physically to the church’s headquarters in Lagos for any enquiries. He insisted that the telephone number listed on the church’s website was meant for those interested in prayer consultation. He also declined to give his name.

“I can’t make any comment,” the official said. “Just come to our office and that is the only way we can respond to your enquiries.”

Mr. Sowore arrived the church bearing a 5D Canon Camera, with a frame holder on his shoulder. The accompanying citizen journalist, Mr. O’Law, held a dual purpose shots and video-taping mini Panasonic Camera.

Upon entering the church’s main gate, which outlooks the busy Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the crew moved into the auditorium and identified themselves to the security officers and ushers they encountered every inch of their way, and telling their mission.

The crew’s mission was to take photos and cover the crossover night service. Ushers and protocol officers allowed them in and motioned them towards the altar after scrutinizing their identity cards. But as Mr. Sowore reached the front of the General Overseer, Pastor D.K. Olukoya, who at that moment was giving his sermon, he was mobbed by several church Task Force officers guarding the altar, some of them wearing aprons with inscription ‘Prayer City Army’.

Mr. Sowore was then dragged to the back of the altar by a mob that threatened at first to smash his camera. The mob later handed him over to the police and the SSS operatives attached to the church.

Accompanying citizen journalist, Segun O’Law,  rushed to the scene to identify Mr. Mr. Sowore as a journalist and explain the team’s mission to the church.  By this time, a larger crowd had gathered behind the altar minutes as Mr. Sowore argued that he was only doing his job. The mob was unimpressed.

The argument attracted more church members, one of who ranted that he would wear down the Jesus in him and transform into Satan to kill Mr. Sowore.

For wearing neck beads designed of cowry shells  (which he wears to showcase his ‘Africanness’), some of the church security operatives described Mr. Sowore as a ‘sinner’, ‘satan incarnate’, among other vilifying christening.

Moments later, the crew were pushed into a security van and whisked to a detention post within the church’s expansive premises. The Task Force, who had demanded Mr. Sowore’s identity card had also seized it, forcefully detained the crew and invited the Division Police Officer  of Ibafo Police station, which  oversees security in the area.