A 23-year-old student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in Akure Ondo State (name withheld) on Tuesday told an Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court how the founder of her church, Oluwafeyiropo Daniels of I Reign Christian Family Church, allegedly raped her.
The witness, a former assistant pastor at the church’s Akungba, Akure, branch, testified in court before Justice Ramon Oshodi that she met the bishop for the first time on May 28, 2018, when he visited Akure for a program.
The rape victim claimed that after the incident, she joined the church and was promoted to assistant pastor when her pastor, Toyosi Bamishe, needed to take over leadership to Pastor Boluwatife Oladejo. This testimony came during her examination-in-chief, which was conducted by Babajide Boye, the prosecutor for the State of Lagos.
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.