The UK’s Charity Commission has frozen the assets of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM), the UK branch of the Nigerian-founded church led by Daniel Olukoya, over concerns of financial mismanagement across its operations.
The regulator said its inquiry revealed that trustees of MFM had failed to properly oversee the church’s finances, leaving more than 100 bank accounts run by individual branches largely unmonitored.
Many accounts were opened and operated independently, without informing central leadership or providing timely income reports.
MFM, one of Nigeria’s most prominent Pentecostal churches, has a strong international presence, particularly in the UK, where it serves many Nigerian diaspora communities.
Its rapid expansion from a few parishes to more than 90 branches nationwide, regulators noted, occurred without adequate governance structures to manage finances effectively.
MFM is not the first Nigerian-founded church to face scrutiny in the UK.
In recent years, other churches of Nigerian origin, including SPAC Nation in December 2024 and Christ Embassy in November 2019, have been investigated for governance and financial accountability issues.
The case has raised wider questions about how fast-growing churches adapt their internal systems when operating in regulated environments, where charities must meet strict financial reporting standards.
How the Investigation Began
The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into MFM on 27 March 2018 under Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. Investigators looked into possible misappropriation of funds and weak financial controls.
According to the final report, the church’s rapid UK expansion outpaced its financial oversight.
Trustees had little control over over 100 accounts managed independently by branches. Major financial decisions, including property purchases and lease agreements, were often made without authorisation from the central leadership.
The report also highlighted issues such as the use of church properties without proper planning permissions, poorly managed employment contracts leading to costly settlements, and the absence of a unified monetary system, all of which created serious risks to charitable assets.
Interim Manager Appointed to Restore Control
On 1 August 2019, the Commission appointed an interim manager under Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act to work alongside trustees and implement critical financial controls.
Oversight continued until 13 September 2024, when the manager was discharged after making progress.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Charity Commission froze MFM’s assets to prevent further financial risk while strengthening accountability measures.
Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:
“The rapid growth of a charity comes with correspondingly larger potential risks, as our inquiry clearly shows. In this case, the trustees’ fundamental failure to maintain financial controls meant donor funds were at serious risk across their entire network.”
She added that the trustees are now in a better position to ensure financial responsibility and compliance following regulatory intervention.
Regulatory Action
The Commission issued a regulatory action plan requiring MFM to strengthen governance policies and improve financial transparency.
Trustees have complied with the plan, and the charity is expected to operate under stricter financial controls going forward.
At the time of filing this report, neither MFM International nor Daniel Olukoya had issued a public response to the Charity Commission’s findings. Collins Edomaruse, media aide to Olukoya, did not respond to calls or text messages.
){kind=link}