Crime & Court
Female Pastor narrates how Lagos Bishop allegedly raped, threatened her with madness
A 23-year-old former assistant pastor has told the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja, Lagos State how one Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniels allegedly raped her twice.
The female pastor testified on Tuesday for the prosecution at the bishop’s trial. She was led in evidence by Lagos State counsel, Mr. Babajide Boye.
According to the information scooped from Channels Television, the witness, who is a former assistant pastor of the church’s branch in Akungba, Akure, explained to the court presided over by Justice Ramon Oshodi that her first encounter with the bishop was on May 28, 2018, when he visited Akure for a programme.
The victim, who was led in examination in chief by the Lagos State prosecution counsel, Mr. Babajide Boye, testified that subsequently, she became a member of the church and at some point when her pastor, Toyosi Bamishe, needed to hand over to Pastor Boluwatife Oladejo, she was made the Assistant Pastor.
She added that on June 21, 2020, the defendant ordered her to come to the sitting room for her report of the church, and then he showed her the plans he had for the church in the next five to 10 years.
The victim said after that she was listening to a message by a prominent Pentecostal pastor on television when he came back to the sitting room and ordered her to take off her clothes.
According to her, the defendant increased the volume of the television, and he also went naked and raped her for about 30 minutes until she started bleeding and sustained tears despite not being a virgin.
“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 knows that I should shut up.
“When he was done, he ordered me to go wash up immediately. He collected my phone and said I should not tell anybody about it and that the day I told anyone, I will run mad.
“I was very scared and the whole thing was like a drama to me, then I went back to the guest room and on the next day, June 22, I got my phone and sent Pastor Oladejo a message on WhatsApp through a code, and he figured that I had been violated.
“Bishop Daniels did not allow me to go out. If I wanted to go out, he will send the security man, it was then that I knew that he was a rapist. I remembered how my friend had told me that she was violated by Bishop, and he tried to harm her.
“For my safety, I started behaving mad and at night he came to the room and said he wanted to have sex with me, I refused and told him I had tears from the previous forceful violation, then he got very angry and left the room.
“On June 23, in the morning I was planning how to leave and when I came out of the room, he was tying a red towel and said I should even be happy that he raped me and that he told me he wanted to have sex with me again, and I rejected him.
“He said that plenty of people would have been happy that he had sex with them, then he took off my clothes and raped me again. He told me that I would die if I told anyone.
“I bled the second time, then he ordered me again to go take my bath and ordered me back to the room, and immediately, I sent a message to Pastor Oladejo that Bishop had raped me again.
“After I sent the message, Bishop came into the room and started begging me. He was crying and saying he didn’t know what came over him and that it had never happened before, and it will not happen again,” she narrated.
She also testified that the defendant had a meeting in Ghana, and he later travelled to the meeting and sent her N5,000 to get drugs because the tears that she got from the forceful sex had turned into boils.
She said when she visited her sister’s house, she couldn’t tell her what had happened.
“I told Bishop that I was in severe pain and that I might need surgery as I could not urinate. He said he would come back from Ghana on June 30, with his wife and two children, and take me to the hospital.
“When he returned with his wife Awele and children, almost immediately the wife entered the house, she noticed the way I was walking, and she asked what happened and Bishop Feyi Daniels told her that I had toilet infection and that he was going to take me to the hospital the next day”.
She explained that the defendant later took her to First City Hospital at Lekki where she met a doctor – Tina Clement – who was also a member of the Lekki Church.
The victim said before they got to the hospital, the defendant had warned her in the car that she should tell the doctor that she was raped by her boyfriend.
“He stayed there throughout the questioning by the doctor and the results were sent to him, and he later got the prescribed drugs for me. Up until today, I don’t know what is the result of the test that was done,” she continued.
The court has adjourned until May 24 and 25 for the continuation of the trial.
The Nigeria Police Force has vowed to sanction its officers caught in a viral video receiving money from Chinese nationals, describing the act as a disgraceful breach of professionalism and a violation of the Force’s core values.
In the now widely circulated footage, several Chinese individuals are seen handing out naira notes to uniformed Nigerian policemen, who were lined up in what appeared to be a well-orchestrated arrangement. The video has since sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many Nigerians expressing outrage and calling for systemic reform within the police.
The disturbing scene, showing armed officers accepting cash in broad daylight, has raised serious questions about the integrity and discipline of personnel within the Force.
Reacting to the incident, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, issued a strong statement on Thursday condemning the officers’ actions as both “unprofessional and unethical.”
“The Nigeria Police Force has taken cognisance of a disturbing video making rounds in the media space, showing police officers receiving money from a Chinese national,” Adejobi stated.
“The Force has strongly condemned the conduct exhibited by the police officers in the video. The actions of the officers do not represent the established ethics, standards, and core values of the Nigeria Police Force.”
He further revealed that the officers involved have been identified and are currently undergoing disciplinary procedures, although he did not specify the nature of the sanctions to be meted out.
Adejobi assured members of the public that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and that appropriate disciplinary actions would follow.
In addition, he issued a stern warning to individuals and corporate organisations who engage the services of police officers, particularly for private escorts and guard duties, urging them to refrain from acts capable of tarnishing the image of the Force.
“The Nigeria Police Force hereby cautions individuals and organisations privileged to the services of police personnel, particularly as escorts and guards or other specialised services, to desist from any act capable of degrading the integrity of its officers and bringing the Force to disrepute,” he warned.
Amidst widespread public outrage over the collapse of a digital investment platform, CryptoBank Exchange (CBEX), which reportedly led to the loss of over N1.3 trillion in funds belonging to Nigerian investors, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reiterated its earlier warnings against patronising Ponzi schemes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the anti-graft agency had long taken steps to sensitise Nigerians on the dangers of fraudulent investment schemes.
The CBEX platform, which reportedly crashed on Monday, left countless Nigerians unable to access their investments, sparking a flurry of emotional video testimonials and appeals for justice across social media platforms.
“You’ll recall that on March 11 this year, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, directed us to issue a public alert concerning 58 Ponzi scheme companies. We made that list public – that shows we were proactive,” Oyewale said.
“Regarding CBEX, we are fully aware of the situation and have been taking action. Before the outcry, we were already investigating; during the public response, we continued working, and even now, the work is ongoing.”
He stressed that the EFCC should not be blamed for the CBEX incident, noting that the platform is run by a Chinese digital trading firm with no legal ties to Nigeria.
“All the so-called offices people mentioned in Ibadan and elsewhere are not functional; the entire operation exists online,” he clarified.
Oyewale further explained that the EFCC has consistently warned Nigerians against online criminal schemes and that extensive public awareness efforts had already been made. He argued that the onus now rests on the public to be more discerning when investing their funds.
He highlighted the importance of the recently enacted Investment and Securities Act 2025, describing it as a robust legal instrument aimed at curbing unlawful investment practices.
“Any entity engaging in digital trading without a proper licence and compliance with extant laws is committing a criminal offence,” Oyewale stated.
He also cautioned Nigerians to scrutinise unrealistic investment promises.
“If someone says, ‘Bring your money and get a 100% return in 30 days,’ that’s not only impractical, it’s deceptive,” he noted. “Even with Nigeria’s prevailing interest rate at 27.5%, no legitimate investment yields such returns.”
He urged investors to verify the compliance of investment platforms with key financial regulations, including the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, the Proceeds of Crime Act, and the Terrorism Financing Act.
Despite the grim situation, Oyewale gave hope to victims, assuring that the EFCC is collaborating with global partners to recover the lost funds.
“We are already working with Interpol and other international development agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he confirmed.
“While the recovery process may not yield immediate results, we assure Nigerians that the EFCC will not abandon them. Escapism is not a solution – we are responsible and professional, and we will ensure justice is served.”
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday struck out the defamation suit filed against controversial blogger Martins Otse, popularly known as Verydarkblackman (VDM).
The suit was instituted by renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, and his son, rapper and activist Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz.
The case stemmed from comments and a video published by VDM on 24 September 2024 via his various social media platforms.
In separate suits, the Falanas sought N500 million each in damages, accusing the blogger of defaming them by alleging in the video that they had received N10 million from social media personality Idris Okuneye, a.k.a. Bobrisky, to pervert the course of justice.
The claimants contended that the defendant knowingly published unverified and false information with the intention of tarnishing their reputation. They further argued that the defamatory content remained accessible online, thereby causing continuous reputational damage.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, neither the claimants nor the defendant was present in court.
Counsel representing the defendant, Niyi Alagbe, standing in for Marvin Omorogbe, informed the court that an application for a stay of proceedings had earlier been filed before Justice Fimisola Azeez.
Responding, the Falanas’ counsel, Omotayo Olatunbosun, confirmed receipt of the said application around 4:15 p.m. on Monday, but urged the court to hear the preliminary objection, which he noted was already ripe for hearing. He argued that the new application was merely a ploy to delay the proceedings.
Justice Matthias Dawodu, in his ruling, stated that the application was not part of the case file before him and questioned why he was being asked to continue hearing the matter when the substantive suit was before another judge.
He concluded that proceeding with the current suit would amount to an academic exercise, and accordingly, struck it out.
“Consequently, this suit is hereby struck out,” the judge ruled.
