Justice Rahman Oshodi of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced the founder of “I Reign Christian Ministry”, Lekki, Lagos, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, to life imprisonment for raping a female assistant pastor of his church (name withheld).
Justice Oshodi also sentenced the 43-year-old bishop to three years imprisonment for sexually assaulting another member of his church aged 19 years.
Delivering judgment in the matter yesterday, the judge held that the prosecution has established the ingredients of rape and sexual assault against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.
“The cleric should spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility,” the judge ordered.
According to him, the evidence of the first prosecution witness was corroborated with that of the third witness.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted the bishop of rape of another survivor (name withheld) on the grounds that there was an element of consent on her part.
The judge held that the convict had no regard for truth and that he committed the offences by using his dominant character and position as a clergy.
“Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, you are hereby found guilty and convicted of sexually violating two women who were members of your church.
“The first one you raped ferociously and caused her so much pain.
“The second, you sexually assaulted using your dominant character and position as a clergy.
“These offences are grievous, as rape attracts life imprisonment while sexual assault is punishable with three years imprisonment.”
Although the defence counsel, Adebayo Adegbite, in his allocutors urged the court to use its discretion in sentencing the bishop, the judge held that the Lagos State law has a mandatory sentence for rape.
“Due to the seriousness and the ferocity of the attack on his victims, accordingly I sentence you as follows:
“On count one I sentence you to life imprisonment.
“On count three I sentence you to three years imprisonment and you shall also serve your term in the maximum security custodial centre where you are currently being held,” he said.
Oshodi said that the sentencing should run concurrently while the name of the convict should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
The defence counsel, in his allocutus, had prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Adegbite told the court that the convict was a first time offender and that he had no previous criminal record.
He said the convict was the bread winner of his family and urged the judge to use his direction in sentencing.
The state prosecution team, led by Babajide Boye, however, urged the court to convict the bishop as charged.
The prosecution had called five witnesses while defence also called five witnesses during trial through whom various documents were tendered in evidence.
Boye submitted that the convict raped his assistant pastor in his home in Ikota Villa Estate sometime in June 2020.
He also said the convict sexually assaulted one of his church members by forcibly sucking and touching her breast sometimes in April 2021 at the church office in Ikeja.
In May last year, the cleric had been remanded in court for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman at his Lekki residence.
The church member had told the court that the cleric had sex with her during a prayer session while he was speaking in tongues.
Born on May 6, 1980, Daniel is married to his heartthrob, Pastor Awele Feyi-Daniels and their marriage is blessed with two boys.
He started Gnosis Business School now known as Evolve Business School in 2006. And in the year 2019, he founded the Kings Academy.
According to him, he consulted for many international corporations such as Chevron, Intercontinental Bank, Skye Bank, and the Edo State Government.
Daniel, the founder of IReign Christian Ministry, which has centres across the globe, is also a philanthropist and runs a foundation, the BFD Foundation, where he partners with educational organisations to provide access to quality education and celebrate academic excellence among the younger generation.
In the build up to the 2023 polls, he trended on social media for making prophecies about the outcome of the elections.
He became popular after his controversial prediction about the presidential election.
In his failed prophecy, he had predicted the arrest of President Bola Tinubu on the day of his inauguration, saying that Peter Obi, who ranked third in the election, would eventually become President.
Source NATION
