Frozen Accounts: MFM Breaks Silence, Dismisses Report as ‘Flawed and Exaggerated

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM) has rejected claims by the United Kingdom’s Charity Commission that its assets were frozen over alleged financial mismanagement.

According to a report by Premium Times, the UK’s Charity Commission had accused the Nigerian-founded church of failing to properly manage its finances across its UK branches, leading to the temporary freezing of assets to “prevent further financial risk.”

The Commission’s investigation alleged that MFM trustees failed to oversee more than 100 independently operated bank accounts across different church branches. It also claimed that some branches managed their finances without reporting income or obtaining approval from the central leadership.

However, MFM has challenged the regulator’s findings, calling them “flawed and exaggerated.”

In a statement cited by The Cable, the church’s spokesperson, Dan Aibangbe, said that “no assets were frozen by any court or the Charity Commission.” He described the report as “disappointing but not surprising,” adding that while the church had acknowledged certain administrative shortcomings, “the Charity Commission has exaggerated the findings to justify its faulty stance.”

Aibangbe explained that during the inquiry, funds from MFM’s building account were transferred from Barclays Bank to the Royal Bank of Scotland by an interim manager appointed by the Commission—without the church’s consent. He said the full amount, including accrued interest, was later returned to Barclays Bank under the trustees’ control once the interim manager was discharged.

He emphasized that no MFM trustee was found guilty of fraud or theft.

The Charity Commission launched its investigation into MFM in March 2018 under Section 46 of the UK Charities Act 2011, citing concerns over weak financial controls and possible fund mismanagement. The report noted that the church’s rapid expansion in the UK—from a few branches to over 90—outpaced its financial governance systems.

The Commission also identified issues such as unapproved property acquisitions, planning permission disputes, and employment settlements resulting from contract mismanagement. It concluded that these weaknesses posed risks to donor funds.

Despite the Commission’s findings, MFM maintains that its UK charity remains financially accountable and that no court action or asset freeze has been imposed.