The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries has refuted reports that an elderly female worshipper died during a church programme at its Prayer City in Ogun State.
In a statement on Thursday, Collins Edomaruse, media aide to the church’s General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, said the woman died at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu where she was rushed to and not inside the church.
Edomaruse explained that the deceased, who was at the Prayer City for service on the said day, 2nd of November, 2023, came in looking feeble.
According to him, she was then rushed from the service to the clinic within the church premises, then to OOUTH, Sagamu.
He added that the case was reported at the Ibafo Police Station the following morning.
He noted that 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.”
The statement quoted the matron at the Prayer City Clinic, Mrs Bisi Adewumi, as saying that the deceased was “brought in to the clinic on the 2nd of November 2023, around 5.30 p.m. 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 cachexia 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.”
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 who 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 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.”