In a significant legal development, the Lagos High Court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to Bishop Feyiropo Daniels, a renowned Nigerian pastor, for the heinous crime of raping a female member of his congregation.
The court also imposed an additional three-year sentence for sexual assault, with both terms to be served concurrently.
Additionally, the pastor’s name is slated to be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register maintained by Lagos State.
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The verdict was delivered by Judge Rahman Oshodi on Friday, confirming the guilt of the cleric in the charges of rape and sexual assault against a female worshipper.
The case originated from a report on May 29, 2023, wherein a 23-year-old assistant pastor disclosed before the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos that Bishop Feyi Daniels, also known as Oluwafeyiropo, had allegedly raped her twice.
Earlier reports from April 17, 2023, indicated that Oluwafeyiropo, the founder of 1 Reign Christian Ministry, had been remanded in prison custody.
The charges against him were brought before Justice Ramon Oshodi and included three amended counts related to rape and sexual assault. The pastor had pleaded not guilty to these charges.
During the trial, led in evidence by Lagos State counsel Mr. Babajide Boye, the assistant pastor recounted her association with the accused. She revealed that she became acquainted with Bishop Feyi Daniels in May 2018 when attending a church program at Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State.
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Following her involvement in the program, titled “Strictly Supernatural,” she eventually rose to the position of assistant pastor within the 1 Reign Christian Ministry.
The witness further detailed the disturbing incident, stating that she regarded the bishop as her spiritual father, and on June 21, 2020, she was allegedly raped at his residence in Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos State.
