COURT REMANDS CLERGYMAN OVER ALLEGED RAPE OF TWO FEMALE CHURCH MEMBERS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Daniel Oluwafeyiropo, a bishop has been placed on remand by an Ikeja Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court on Monday, for allegedly raping two of his church members (names withheld).

The founder of “I Reign Christian Ministry” was detained by Justice Ramon Oshodi at Kirikiri Correctional Facility awaiting the completion of his bail requirements.

The defendant was given a N20 million bail with two sureties in the same amount by Oshodi.

According to the Judge, 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 mandated an expedited hearing of the case and required the defendant to leave his foreign passport with the chief registrar of the court.

Oshodi set a trial date of May 9 for the case.

Earlier, Mr. Olukunle Oyewole, the defense attorney, pleaded with the court to give the defendant bail under lenient conditions in his motion requesting bail dated April 10.

Oyewole stated that the defendant had cooperated with the police and had been out on administrative bail since May 20, 2022.

“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.

In his counter-affidavit dated April 14, the state’s main prosecutor, Mr. Babjide Boye, urged the court to deny the defendant’s request for release but left it up to the court’s discretion.

Boye, however, countered that the offenses were significant and that the possibility of prosecution might make the defendant flee the country.

“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 previously charged with two counts of rape-related offenses.

He, however, entered a not guilty plea to the accusation.

The defendant is accused of having committed the crimes on the Ikota Villa Estate in Lekki, Lagos, at some point in June 2020, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution claims that the accused offense violated Section 260 (2) of the Lagos State Criminal Laws, 2015.