A 23-year-old student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in Akure Ondo State, (names withheld) on Tuesday, narrated to an Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court how she was allegedly raped by the founder of her church, Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, of I Reign Christian Family Church.
The witness, who is a former assistant pastor of the church’s branch in Akungba, Akure, told the court presided over by Justice Ramon Oshodi that her first encounter with the bishop was on May 28, 2018, when he visted Akure for a programme.
The rape victim, who was led in examination-in-chief by the Lagos State prosecution counsel, Babajide Boye, testified that subsequently, she became a member of the church and when her pastor, Toyosi Bamishe, needed to hand over to Pastor Boluwatife Oladejo, she was made the assistant pastor.
She said the bishop summoned her to the Lagos church to be punished for her inability to attend a ministers’ conference that clashed with her brother’s wedding and her failure to meet the deadline set for her to transcribe about six audio teachings of the bishop.
She said on June 21, 2020, the defendant directed her to come to the sitting room for her to present the church’s report and then he showed her the plans he had for the church in the next five to 10 years.
The victim told the court that she was listening to a television programme when he entered the sitting room and ordered her to take off her clothes.
She said the bishop told her that he wanted to have sex with her as proof of her loyalty.
She said she told him she cannot have sex with him because he was not her husband and he told her how he carried out some activities for his spiritual father.
According to her, when she did not cooperate with him, the bishop resorted to raping her.
She said, “He pinned me against a three-seater couch and raped me. He was bigger than me and I was bleeding from my private part.
“I was begging him but he didn’t listen. I told him I was bleeding, he said he knew and that I should shut up.
“When he was done, he ordered me to go and wash up immediately. He collected my phone and cleaned the blood before I came out. He said I should not tell anybody and that the day I tell anyone, I will run mad.”
The victim said she was scared but that on the following day, she got her phone and sent her pastor a message on Whatsapp through a code and he figured that she had been violated.
She said the pastor initially thought it was a joke and that it was Daniels that was testing his loyalty.
She added, “On June 23, I was planning how to leave and when I came out of the room, he was tying a red towel and he said I should even be happy that he raped me, that he told me he wanted to have sex with me and I rejected him.
“He said people would have been happy that he had sex with them. He took off my clothes and raped me again. He told me that I would die if I tell anyone.
“I bled the second time and he ordered me again to go and take my bath and ordered me back into the room. I immediately sent a message to Pastor Oladejo that the bishop had raped me again.”
She explained that the defendant took her to a Lekki-based hospital where she met a doctor who was also a member of the Lekki Church.
The victim said before they got to the hospital, the defendant warned her in the car that she should tell the doctor that she was raped by her boyfriend.
The case was adjourned till May 24 and 25 for continuation of trial.
Credit: Punch
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