An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced a Lagos bishop, Feyi Daniels, to life imprisonment for raping his 23-year-old assistant (name withheld).
Justice Rahman Oshodi also sentenced Daniels, the Bishop of I Reign Christian Ministry, Lagos, to three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old member of the church (count three of the four-count charge).
The judge held that the cleric should spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility in Lagos.
Oshodi held that the prosecution established the ingredients of the two offences.
According to him, Feyi Daniels is a liar and does not have any regard for truth.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted him on count two of the charge, which is the rape of another member of the church (name withheld).
Oshodi held that there was an element of consent from the church member.
The judge also discharged and acquitted Daniels on count four of the charge, which is attempted rape of a member of the church.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Daniels faced an amended four-count charge bordering on rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault.
Rape contravenes Section 260(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Bishop Feyi Daniels raped me while speaking in tongues, woman tells court
Recall an Ikeja sexual offences and domestic violence court on May 24, 2023 remanded a bishop identified as Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman while “speaking in tongues.”
According to a report published on the subject matter on NAN, the clergyman reportedly raped the woman at his residence in Lekki, Lagos state.
The clergyman, who is the founder of ‘I Reign Christian Ministry, was earlier remanded for allegedly raping two of his church members at his residence in June 2020.
During the trial, the victim, a member of the bishop’s church, was led in evidence by Babajide Boye, the state lead counsel.
The victim told the court that she heard her cousin listening to the bishops’s sermon on the phone while they were at her sister’s shop in Osogbo on January 2, 2019.
“I told my cousin the sermon was nice and he told me the name of the church which I searched for and followed its page on Facebook,” the victim said.
“After that, I was able to chat with Feyi on Facebook and he added me to a WhatsApp group called spiritual sonship group.”
