Rebuttal: The late elderly female worshipper did not die at MFM Prayer City, says Church

[Press Statement] The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM) has debunked media reports that an elderly female worshipper, name not known, had slumped and died during a programme at the Prayer City, a religious arena owned by the church.

Speaking in a statement, Brother Collins Edomaruse, media aide to the General Overseer (worldwide) of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr Daniel Olukoya, said contrary to media reports, the deceased actually died at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State.

Edomaruse explained that, the deceased, who was at the Prayer City for Service on the said day, November 2, 2023 (not for a residential programme like ‘deliverance’), came in looking feeble.

She was then rushed from the service to the Clinic within the church premises, then to OOUTH, Sagamu.

The case was, however, reported at the Ibafo Police station the following morning.

The OOUTH, after the woman’s death, acknowledged that the Church was a public place and commended the MFM for “it has shown enough duty of care by rushing the sick person to the hospital. But some sections of the media had falsely reported that the woman had collapsed and died in the church.”

In her account, the matron at the Prayer City Clinic, Mrs Bisi Adewumi, said the deceased was “brought in to the clinic on the 2nd of November 2023, around 5.30pm as an emergency case from the auditorium during Thursday evening service.

“On physical observation inside an ambulance, we recorded pallor+++…that she was pale (short of blood).

“She looked cachexic and emaciated, hence blood pressure was quickly checked inside the ambulance; result: B/P71/55 P115, Temp 36.oc, because of the pallor+++ that requires immediate blood.

“The ambulance driver and a nurse were instructed to rush her to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, where urgent intervention and investigations could be carried out.

“The report received from the nurse at the teaching hospital indicated that the deceased was attended to in the ambulance as an emergency for preliminary investigations.

“She later gave up there and her remains were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.

The Prayer City is located at KM 12, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.
Edomaruse added: “It should be noted that the MFM Camp is a place frequented by God worshippers and seekers from all over the world.

“The ministry may not be able to ascertain the medical situation of everyone that desires to seek God’s face within its facility.

“It, however, provides a first aid duty of care to anyone who needs medical attention within its premises.

“One can conclude that’s it’s simply a case of ignorance and misrepresentation of facts to claim that the unfortunate demise of a worshipper at a teaching hospital was caused by the ministry in any way.

“The Church provides a covenant platform of divine encounter and teaches the worshippers how to connect with the God of the Bible. This has provided tremendous testimonies over the years.”

Dateline: Lagos, November 16, 2023

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