The Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has fixed January 26th to deliver judgment in the case of a cleric, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniel, accused of raping two of his church members.
Justice Rahman Oshodi fixed the date for judgment after the prosecution led by Babajide Boye and the defendant’s lawyer, Fola Awonusi, adopted their final written addresses.
Daniel was arraigned before the court by the Lagos State Government on a two-count charge of rape contrary to section 260 (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The state had claimed that the defendant, the Founder of “I Reign Christian Ministry,” allegedly committed the offences sometime in June 2020 at Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defence counsel, Awonusi, in his final written address, urged the court to discharge and acquit his client because the evidence presented by the state showed malice and financial gains on the part of the alleged survivors.
The lawyer also argued that there were contradictions in the evidence given by the prosecution witnesses.
He urged the court to reject the evidence of the prosecution witness and acquit the defendant.
But the prosecutor urged the court to convict Daniel on the weight of the evidence adduced before it.
He argued that there was evidence of struggle, adding that the defendant forced himself on the alleged survivors.
He said the contradictions, which the defence argued about were immaterial.
“In line with our argument, we urge the court to convict the defendant of the four-count charge. We have established sexual assault and attempted rape. We urge the court to convict the defendant accordingly,” Boye said.
Recall that in May last year, the domestic violence court had remanded Bishop Daniels, for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman while “speaking in tongues.”
The clergyman allegedly raped the woman at his residence in Lekki, Lagos state.
During the trial, the victim, a member of the bishop’s church, was led in evidence by Babajide Boye, the state lead counsel.
The victim told the court that she heard her cousin listening to the bishops’s sermon on the phone while they were at her sister’s shop in Osogbo on January 2, 2019.
“I told my cousin the sermon was nice and he told me the name of the church which I searched for and followed its page on Facebook,” the victim said.
“After that, I was able to chat with Feyi on Facebook and he added me to a WhatsApp group called spiritual sonship group.”
The alleged victim said she met the pastor for the first time when she attended a three-day retreat organised by the church in 2019.
“He later had a programme at OAU which I attended and met Brother Isaac, one of his spiritual sons, and we exchanged numbers,” she said.
“From the sonship group, I took an assistant pastor / first prosecution witness (PW1) (name withheld) to be my prayer partner because, irrespective of our gender, we call ourselves sons.
“On the WhatsApp group, Feyi dropped a message that all sons should pick a convenient time to fast for 70 days, pray for two hours and break at 6.00 p.m. daily and come to Lagos for laying of hands after the fasting.
“On Sept. 8 2019, I told her (PW1) that I was going to Lagos for the laying of hands but the programme started late and there was nowhere to sleep because I had no one I could stay with in Lagos,” she said.
“PW1 told me to call and tell Feyi that I had no one to stay with for the night, and I did.
“He said there was no problem, and this made me follow him to his house with some other members, including Bro Israel and his wife, but they later left the house that same day.”
She also said a lady identified as Rachael took her to a room where they both slept in.
“The following morning, Feyi came out of his room and laid his hands on my head and started praying for me at the dining section, after I greeted him,” she recounted.
“I went inside the room to start preparing to go to Osogbo, and he told me there was food in the kitchen, that I should eat.
“I was eating at the dining when he came to meet me again and said, ‘Are you in your period?’
“I said, ‘No”, and he went back to his room. I did not see Rachael in the morning though we slept in the same room.”
She further said the pastor came to her again and told her that he had an instruction for her, adding that he would want her to hear it herself.
‘HE TOLD ME TO GO INTO HIS ROOM’
“There are two portraits of one Prophet Babajide David Olulana on Feyi’s living room whom he told me was his spiritual father,” she said.
“Feyi told me to carry one of the portraits and stare at it so that I can hear the instruction myself, which I did.
“After a while, he came out of his room and asked if I heard anything.
“I told him ‘No’. He then said that the portrait was talking to me but I could not receive it.
“He said his spiritual father would use another means to speak to me.
“I then got a text message on my phone with the sender showing Babajide. I could not call the number but the message read, ‘Whatever your father asks you to do, do it for your own good’.”
She said the pastor later came out to ask her if she had received any sign, adding that he was instructed to have sex with her.
“I told him I got a message. He said I should delete the message,” she said.
“Feyi told me that when I was born, my aunt did something to me which prevented my progress in life.
“He said the instruction he received was for him to help me so that I could be free from my aunt.
“I asked what the instruction was, and he said the instruction was for him to have sex with me.
“I was confused at this point. His eyes had already changed and he told me to go to his room.”
She added that the bishop had two portraits of Prophet Babajide on his bed when she entered the room.
“He (defendant) was playing a Christian song with the title, ‘Let Praises Rise’ on his phone,” she added.
“He pushed me on the bed, I tried to move away but he pulled me back as I was already naked.
“While Feyi was speaking in tongues, he was having sex with me.”
She further said the pastor warned her against disclosing the incident, adding that she would die if she tells anyone.
She said the pastor raped her on several occasions, adding that she later got pregnant for him but lost it during an accident on Ilorin-Ibadan road.