The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, has ordered the arraignment of a Lekki-based pastor, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniel, over the alleged rape of an assistant pastor of the church and another lady.
Daniel is the founder of I Reign Christian Ministry, Ikota, Lekki, and has been trending on social media for making prophecies about the outcome of the elections.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the case against him was being investigated at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Ikoyi, Lagos, where at least two of the victims had made statements.
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team had also been involved in the matter.
The case file was forwarded to the DPP last year when investigation was said to have been concluded.
However, for several months, the legal advice was not released as the victims alleged compromise on the part of the FCID, Ikoyi, and the state government.
Our correspondent, who confirmed that the legal advice was issued in December 2022 and the cleric had yet to be prosecuted, decided to apply for the certified true copy of the advice.
On Thursday, March 2, Saturday PUNCH applied for the certified true copy through the Ministry of Justice.
After the payment of the requisite fee, the advice was released exclusively to our correspondent on Monday, March 13.
The advice, which was signed by the DPP Director, Dr Babajide Martins, was dated December 16, 2022.
The report stated in part, “After careful consideration of the facts available in the duplicate case file, this office is of the view that there exists prima facie offence of rape under Section 260 of the Criminal Law, Ch C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 against the suspect, Oluwafeyiropo Daniel.
“Facts from the duplicate case file reveal that the suspect, Oluwafeyiropo Daniel, is a pastor and the founder of I Reign Christian Ministry; that he had a church branch in Akungba Akoko (Ondo) where he had young people as pastors and assistant pastors. It is also revealed that Oluwafeyiropo Daniel invites the branch pastors and assistants to his house from time for one reason or the other.”
The report said Daniel took advantage of one of the assistant pastors whenever she visited his residence in the Ikota area of Lagos.
“It is revealed that Oluwafeyiropo Daniel having presented himself as his victims’ spiritual father whom they must be loyal to and must never hide anything from, including their bodies, lures the complainant and his other victim into having sexual intercourse with him,” the advice added.
On the rationale for prosecuting Daniel, the state government said for the prosecution to successfully prove the offence of rape, it must be established that the accused had sexual intercourse with the complainants.
The justice ministry added that it must also be evident that the act was not consensual.
It stated that there must be proof that there was penetration and the suspect acted recklessly by not caring whether the complainants consented or not.
The advice noted that though Daniel denied sexually assaulting the assistant pastor or any of his other victims, the evidence of the “victims in the duplicate case file were cogent, direct and unequivocal and are sufficient evidence against Daniel.”
“In the light of the foregoing, this office shall prosecute Pages 81- (Oluwafeyiropo Daniel) for the offence of rape under Sections 260 of the Criminal Law, Ch C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015,
“Your duplicate case file is hereby retained to enable this office to prosecute the suspect (Oluwafeyiropo Daniel) at the High Court. You shall be notified as soon as the information is filed.
“Extra copies of this legal advice and forms for information on legal representation for the suspect are attached for service on the suspect in line with the provision of Section 74 (5) and (6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2011,” the advice added.
Section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State under which the suspect is to be tried, prescribes a punishment of life imprisonment for rape upon conviction.
The section reads, “Any man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl, without her consent, is guilty of the offence of rape and liable to imprisonment for life.”
It is, however, not clear why the cleric has not been prosecuted about three months after the advice was issued.
The victims’ ordeals
Daniels is married with children and used to have his church in different parts of the country.
Our correspondent learnt that the first victim, the assistant pastor, who was based in Ondo, was summoned to the Lagos headquarters of the church where the incident happened.
While speaking to The PUNCH in June 2022, she said she was summoned to the church headquarters in Lagos as punishment for an undisclosed offence.
She said, “So, I went to his house in Lekki for the punishment and when I got there, he said I should strip naked because he wanted to beat me. He was alone at home. He saw that I was shocked at his statement and started making me feel guilty.
“He said his spiritual father tested him in many areas and after hours of contemplating, he became angry that I disobeyed him. So, I went into the guest room, took off my clothes and closed my eyes as I came out to meet him. He told me not to close my eyes, and ordered me to kneel as he sat on a chair.
“He saw my nakedness and said he wanted to test my loyalty and was not having sex with me. He told me to put my clothes back and after wearing them, he told me to take them off again and I did. He later told me to go and not tell anyone, but after leaving his place, I told some of our senior church members.”
The victim said she returned home and after some time, Daniel called her to report at his residence over another incident.
She said, “So, while at his house, he told me he would punish me for an offence and said I should transcribe the messages in one of his teachings. The next day, the pastor of the branch in Ibadan and his wife, whom I met at his residence the previous day left, so I was alone in the house with Bishop Daniel.
“So, while in the sitting room with him, he attempted to kiss me and I stopped him; then he slapped me. He was angry and said the last time he told me to go naked, he didn’t do anything with me. So, he left and I went into the room to sleep.
“The following day, we were in the sitting room listening to a pastor’s message when he said I should go naked again. I did, and surprisingly, he also went naked and raped me for about 30 minutes till I started bleeding because of the tears I sustained despite not being a virgin.
“The incident happened around 10pm; I was dumbfounded. He told me to go inside the room to clean up myself and before I returned, he had cleaned up the blood on the floor. He told me not to tell anyone, but I told a pastor in my church.”
The victim said Daniels did not allow her to leave his house, adding that when he attempted raping her the following night, she pleaded with him that she was tired.
The 22-year-old said, “In the morning, I greeted him, but he didn’t answer. Later, he started saying I should be privileged that he had that kind of thing with me. All of a sudden, he took off my clothes and raped me again and I still bled the second time. It was traumatic for me.
“He told me to go to the bathroom to wash and he cleaned the blood before I came out. I picked up my phone, informed the pastor of my branch and another church member of our branch, who decided to come to the pastor’s house.
“Bishop Daniels started begging me and said he never knew what came over him. When the church member came, I wanted to follow her out to tell her the story, but he prevented me from leaving the house. I later left his house but while thinking about the incident, I felt suicidal.
“I stopped going to the church and my branch has been closed down. I reported the incident at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, in 2020. But the investigating police officer, one Inspector Samuel, told me to bring N70,000 if I wanted him arrested.
“I did not have that money and had to stop going to the station. Bishop Daniels started sending people to beg me, but I just moved on.”
Two other victims, who spoke to the Saturday PUNCH, also alleged that the suspect used a similar trick of summoning them from their branches to his house in Lekki, Lagos State, claiming that they committed offences for which they would be punished before sleeping with them.
Endless wait for trial
The Director of the DSVRT, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the agency was waiting for the case to be assigned to the right court.
She noted that there were three ladies involved in the matter, adding that while two reported to the agency, the third lady reported to the police.
She said, “We have been on this case since 2022. As it is our custom, we work with the police and Ministry of Justice to ensure justice is done in cases of domestic and sexual violence. The DPP legal advice in this matter on December 16, 2022 said that Mr Feyi Daniel has a case to answer and that information has been filed at the High Court. What we are doing is to ensure that this case is slated so that trial can commence so he can have his day in court and the survivors can have their day in court.”
The spokesperson for the FCID, Alagbon, Niyi Ogundeyi, said the police were waiting for the DPP to file the matter in court as well.’’
Ogundeyi noted that the case file was ready.
He said, “I am aware that the DPP has asked that the guy (suspect) be charged to court; the retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (in charge of the FCID) even asked the police to release the case file for prosecution. I was a witness when the AIG called the IPO in charge of the matter to enquire if they had gathered enough evidence to prosecute the case and he saw everything necessary had been done. It is the DPP that has the right to start the trial and ask the police to come for evidence. Let them give you the reason they have not commenced the trial.”
A top official in the state Ministry of Justice, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the case had been transferred to the judiciary, but a judge had yet to be assigned to it.
The source noted that there had been complaints of several cases not receiving adequate attention in the judiciary.
“They are the ones that can explain why it has not been assigned to a judge,” the source said.
The Chief Registrar of the Lagos State Judiciary, Magistrate Tajudeen Elias, did not take his calls, which rang out several times.
He did not also respond to text and WhatsApp messages demanding a reason for the delay in the prosecution after three months of legal advice.
Lawyer threatens govt, PUNCHman
Daniel, when contacted by Saturday PUNCH on the phone, demanded to know how our reporter got his phone number.
When our reporter declined to state his source, he cut off the call.
However, this reporter sent him a detailed text on the matter and demanded his reaction.
Minutes later, a man who claimed to be his lawyer, Olusola Samuel, called our correspondent on the phone.
While threatening to deal “personally” with the reporter, he said the allegations were baseless.
He said, “This matter of rape has been on for a while. It started in Ilorin, where it happened. They initiated a suit there and abandoned it. They came to Lagos again and brought a similar story and then, the police officers in Lagos, they know what they are doing about the matter. The matter is with the authorities concerned.”
Our correspondent then informed him about the legal advice ordering his client’s prosecution at the High Court for the alleged crime.
Samuel said the pastor was not aware of the advice.
He said the police at the FCID declined to handle the matter because the alleged rape happened “like five years ago.”
While accusing the DSVRT of desperation to nail the pastor, he said, “When they did not get what they wanted, they made a reversal to Lagos State. Whatever they are bringing, they have no basis for it and they will be frontally confronted,” he added.
