Tag: Lekki

A 25-year woman (name withheld) on Wednesday told an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court  how a bishop, Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, allegedly raped her while praying.

The alleged rape occurred at the cleric’s  residence at Lekki, Lagos State.

The bishop is standing trial on an amended three-count charge bordering on rape and sexual assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The alleged victim/survivor testified at the resumed trial of the defendant.

The witness,  who was  a  member of a church founded by the defendant,  was led in  evidence by  state lead counsel, Mr Babajide Boye.

According to the alleged survivor, she was in her sister’s shop in Osogbo on Jan. 2, 2019, when her cousin was listening to the bishop’s sermon on phone.

“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.

“After that, I was able to chat with Feyi on Facebook  and he added me to a WhatsApp group called  Spiritual Sonship Group,” she testified.

The alleged victim told the court that she met the defendant for the first time at a camp in 2019 when the church  had a three-day retreat.

“He later had a programme at OAU which I attended and met  Brother Isaac, one of his spiritual sons, and we exchanged numbers.

“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,” she testified.

The witness told the court that  the defendant told her personally to 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 no where to sleep because I had no one I could stay with in Lagos.

“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 to 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 said.

The witness said that a lady identified simply as Rachael took her to a room where she slept.

“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.

“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 said.

The alleged survivor further told the court that the defendant came to her again and told her that he had an instruction for her but would want  her to hear it herself.

She said: ” There are two portraits of one Prophet Babajide David Olulana on Feyi’s living room whom he told me was his spiritual father.

“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’.”

According to the witness,  the defendant later came out and asked if she had received any sign.

“I told him I got a message. He said I should delete the message. 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 instructions 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 told the court that when she got there, the two portraits of Prophet Babajide were on the bed.

“He (defendant) was playing a Christian song with the title, ‘Let Praises Rise’  on his phone. 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 tongue, he was having sex with me,” she testified.

The witness further told the court that the defendant told her she would die if she would tell anyone about the alleged rape.

She said that the defendant raped her on other occasions and she  got pregnant for him but lost it to an accident on Ilorin-Ibadan  Road.

Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case until May 25 for continuation of trial.

An Ikeja Sexual offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday remanded a clergyman, Daniel Oluwafeyiropo for allegedly raping two of his church members (names withheld).

Justice Ramon Oshodi remanded the founder of “I Reign Christian Ministry” in Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

Oshodi admitted the defendant to N20 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

He said one of the sureties must be owner of a build up property in Lagos State and the property must be enough to cover the bail sum.

“The original document of the landed property must be submitted the chief registrar of Lagos State.

“The sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must have three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State,” he said.

The judge also ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the chief registrar of the court and ordered acceleration hearing of the case.

Oshodi adjourned the case until May 9 for trial.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr Olukunle Oyewole, while moving his bail application dated  April 10, urged the court to grant bail to the defendant on liberal terms.

Oyewole argued that the defendant had been on police administrative bail since May 20, 2022 and had made himself available to the police.

“My lord, the defendant was not informed on the day the matter came up for the first time before this court.

“The defendant is a well known religious leader and he has shown by his action  that he will not jump bail.

“The offence for which he is charged with is a bailable offences and he has credible sureties that can stand for him,” he said.

The state lead prosecution counsel, Mr Babjide Boye, in his counter affidavit dated April 14, urged the court to refuse the bail application of the defendant,  however, left it at the discretion if the court.

Boye, however, argued that the offences was a serious one and the likelihood of conviction  might  put the defendant on flight risk.

“There is also possibility of the defendant interfering with the prosecution witnesses.

“He is a bishop of so many branches and if granted bail,  he may use his position  to influence the prosecution witnesses as he is regarded as a man of authority who has the possibility of committing same crime.

“We urge the court to deny the defendant bail because he has failed to provide  the court  exceptional  circumstances to grant him bail,” the prosecutor submitted.

Oluwafeyiropo, was earlier  arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on rape.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

According to the prosecution, the defendant allegedly committed the offences sometime in June 2020 at Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

According to the prosecution, the alleged offence contravened Sections 260 (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.