Former pastor of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Femi Jimoh, has reportedly died, years after spending about nine years in detention over an alleged plot to rob the church.
Jimoh’s death was reported on Thursday, August 20, 2026, amid renewed attention to the controversial circumstances surrounding his arrest, prolonged incarceration and subsequent legal battle with the church.
According to reports, Jimoh battled serious health challenges after his release from detention. His death was announced by UK-based Nigerian blogger Maureen Badejo, who linked his health struggles to the years he spent in custody and an alleged gunshot injury to his leg.
Jimoh had gained widespread attention in 2024 after appearing on Yoruba Gidi TV, where he gave an emotional account of his experience in detention.
He alleged that he was arrested after encountering Michael Gbadamosi, the then Chief Security Officer to MFM founder, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, at a native doctor’s residence.
Jimoh further alleged that he was tortured in custody and spent years in prison without trial.
However, MFM strongly rejected the allegations, insisting that Jimoh was prosecuted by the police over an alleged plot to rob the church and that the ministry had no role in keeping him in detention.
The church maintained that Jimoh and others were granted bail but remained in custody because the required sureties were not provided.
The case eventually ended in July 2016 when the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere acquitted and discharged Jimoh and two others, Henry Aiyewero and Caleb Oloruntele, after ruling that the prosecution failed to prove the alleged conspiracy to rob MFM beyond reasonable doubt.
The controversy later extended to a separate dispute over salary arrears. Reports published in 2024 said Jimoh and another former MFM worker had obtained an industrial court judgment concerning unpaid salary arrears covering several years, including the period they spent in detention.
MFM has continued to deny allegations that the church or its founder, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, orchestrated Jimoh’s imprisonment.
Jimoh’s death has therefore reopened questions about the nine-year detention saga, his acquittal, the allegations he made against MFM officials and the unresolved issues surrounding his post-release legal battle.
He is survived by family members.
