Defamation: Chef Dammy Insists Pastor Jeremiah Adegoke Claims Not True

By Falayi Olarewaju 

The Ekiti based popular Chef, Damilola Adeparusi who did a 120 hours cook-a-thon few months back has come out to say that the case of defamation against her by Pastor Jeremiah Adegoke were not true thereby insisting on her earlier stand of threat to life. 

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Responding to questions on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, she further disclosed that the office of the Ekiti State First Lady, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji and the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, have taken up the demand of the sum of N22 million as defamatory requested from her.

Recall that the Ekiti-based cleric slammed Chef Dammy through his lawyers for alleged defamation of character demanding a retraction of the defamatory statement on social media, two widely read national dailies and payment of N22m for damages. 

Chef Dammy added that the rift between her and the prophet are accurate and not defamatory as being reported in the media.

According to her, despite measures by concerned individuals to resolve the issue amicably, the prophet insists to carry on with his so-called defamatory lawsuit.

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Her words: “The DPO wanted us to settle the matter amicably but then they brought the letter of the lawsuit. The First Lady of Ekiti State, the Attorney General and my lawyer have taken up the case. They are on my side.

“After the cook-a-ton, my Papa said people are ready to give car and money if Dammy could do another 150 hours, but I wasn’t led, so I didn’t really react. So, I told them I won’t be able to do that as I was not led.

“So, he asked that I publish my intention to embark on a 150 hours cook-a-ton challenge on the social media to see people’s reaction, clarifying that I wasn’t going to embark on the challenge in reality.”

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Reacting to the defamatory charges, “the issue started after the cook-a-ton challenge, although it wasn’t my whole idea, it was the idea of the church as I was chosen to represent the church. During the challenge, the sum of N700,000 was sent to my Pastor’s account while, the sum of N600,000 was sent to my Opay Account. Although, the Church sponsored the whole contest, we didn’t discuss anything regarding money from the beginning, I just did it because I was led. 

“When people began to send money, my Pastor said the whole money was mine not until my brother complained of the intensive disturbance as I was not given chance to rest.The N700, 000 in his account wasn’t sent to me, and I didn’t ask for it till now, they all told me that this is your money, the church is not after money, and I didn’t ask for the 700,000 in his account

“After this, my parents summoned my Pastor at the First Lady’s Office to apologize for not seeking their consent before embarking on the challenge which made him prostrate at the office. After this, Papa sent four people to me with a message, “Can this people die a natural death” and I know my Papa very well which made me stopped attending the church.

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“It was after I stopped attending the Church, that I began to receive different threats, insults, curses from the group which made me left the church group. The threats did not stop after I left the group which instigated the statement I wrote via my Instagram Page, although I didn’t mention anybody’s name at first until I was attacked by some of the church members.”

She alleged that during the challenge, the Pastor took advantage of the contest to exploit some of her supporters by charging them the sum of N1,000 as entry fee.

“During the challenge, the Pastor Jeremiah was charging people the sum of N1000 for entry fee of which some of my course mates and government official from the First Lady’s office paid a thousand naira to watch me.”

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