PEOPLES GAZETTE
The witness told the court that the bishop, who she regarded as her spiritual father, raped her at his residence on Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos State, on June 21, 2020.
A 23-year-old assistant pastor on Tuesday told the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that Bishop Daniel Oluwafeyiropo, allegedly raped her twice.
Mr Daniel is standing trial on an amended three-count charge bordering on rape and sexual assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The assistant pastor (name withheld) testified for the prosecution at the bishop’s trial.
While being led in evidence by Lagos State counsel, Babajide Boye, she told the court she was an assistant pastor of 1 Reign Christian Ministry, founded by the bishop.
The witness said she knew the bishop on May 28, 2018, when her friend invited her to a church programme where the bishop ministered at Akungba, Akoko, Ondo State.
She said she subsequently became a church member and became an assistant pastor.
She said that Pastor Boluwatishe Oladejo took over from Pastor Toyosi Bamise as the lead pastor then.
The witness told the court that the bishop, who she regarded as her spiritual father, raped her at his residence on Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos State, on June 21, 2020.
The witness said: “I was listening to Pastor Chris’s message when the bishop came to the three-seater chair I was sitting on and told me to go naked.
“For fear of what happened a day before, I went naked, and bishop locked the door, increased the volume of the television and went naked also.
“He pinned me to the chair and raped me. He was bigger than me.”
The witness said she appealed to the bishop to leave her, but he did not and threatened that she would run mad if she disclosed the incident.
“On June 22, I sent a message to Pastor Boluwatishe and informed him that I had been raped,” the alleged victim testified.
She also told the court that the bishop did not allow her to leave the house after the first alleged rape.
“I was in the room when he came again and said he wanted sex, but I refused.”
