A London-based blogger, Maureen Badejo, has rejected the founder and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman’s offer of £500 monthly payment of the judgement sum of £19,601.00 which was awarded against him by the Queens Bench Division of the UK High Court of Justice.
The Queens Bench Division of the UK High Court of Justice in March 2022 ordered Apostle Johnson Suleman to pay £19,601 as part of sanctions in the suit he entered against Badejo, alleging defamation of character.
Maureen was subsequently summoned to appear before the Queens Bench Division of UK High Court of Justice over alleged defamation of character of the Nigerian cleric.
SaharaReporters had reported how Nigerians in the Diaspora raised legal fees for Badejo to defend herself against the cleric in court.
The host of GIOTV had requested support from her teeming viewers, fans, and loved ones to assist her financially with the legal costs.
In the ruling by UK Judge, His Honour Judge Lewis, and obtained by SaharaReporters, with claim NO: QB-2022-000504 and dated 10th of March 2022, Apostle Suleman’s application was dismissed.
The court ordered Suleman to pay Badejo the sum of £19,601.
The judgement reads, “UPON the Application of the Claimant by Notice filed on 18 February 2022 seeking an interim injunction restraining the Defendant from publishing further allegedly defamatory broadcasts concerning the Clamant and requiring her to remove earlier broadcasts (“the Application”)
“AND UPON the Claimant issuing a claim form on 16 February 2022 AND UPON the Order of Mr Justice Nicklin dated 21 February making directions for the hearing of the Application (“the Order”)
“AND UPON reading the evidence filed on behalf of the Claimant and the Defendant pursuant to the Order
“AND UPON hearing Razak Atunwa of counsel on behalf of the Claimant and Gervase de Wilde of counsel on behalf of the Defendant at a hearing on 10 March 2022 (“the Hearing”) AND UPON the Court handing down ex tempore judgments at the Hearing on (1) the
“Application, and (2) the costs of and occasioned by the Application AND UPON the Claimant undertaking either to serve the Claim Form in compliance with the CPR within the period of its validity, if so advised, or alternatively to notify the Defendant’s solicitors and the Court that the proceedings will not be pursued;
“IT IS ORDERED that: The Application is dismissed. The Claimant shall pay the Defendant’s costs of and occasioned by the Application, summarily assessed in the sum of £19,601.”
However, Suleman through his Solicitor, Andrew E Akhuetic made an offer of a £500 monthly payment to Badejo until the debt is finalized.
“We have been instructed by our above-named client in connection with the judgement sum of £19,601.00 which was awarded to your client on the 10th of March 2022.
“On behalf of our client, we apologized for the long delay in reaching out to your client on the proposal for making payments to put this matter to rest.
“We have been instructed by our client to make an offer of £500 monthly payment to your client until the debt is finalized.
“Please take instructions from your client and revert to us as soon as possible.
“We look forward to hearing from you,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, Badejo while speaking with SaharaReporters described the offer as totally unacceptable.
She said Suleman is a rich pastor with a private jet, noting that he should pay the money once.
“This is totally unacceptable. And he will pay everything with all the interest on it. He is a rich pastor with a private jet.
“This is not acceptable,” she said.
Badejo had expressed excitement that Suleman whom she said she had been monitoring, was planning to have a programme in the United Kingdom by the end of August.
Maureen took to her verified Facebook page to post the event flier with caption that she is ready for a showdown as the cleric is now coming to her domain.
