Bishop who raped assistant pastor jailed for life

The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Friday, sentenced Bishop of I Reign Christian Ministry, Lagos, Feyiropo Daniels, to life imprisonment for raping his 23-year-old assistant.

He was also jailed 3 years for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old member of the church.

Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the cleric should spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility.

While stating that the prosecution established the ingredients of the two offences, Oshodi described Daniels as a liar who does not have any regard for truth.

He, however, discharged and acquitted him on count two of the charge, which is 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.

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.

Earlier, the assistant pastor had told the court how Bishop Daniels raped her while praying.

The alleged rape occurred at the cleric’s residence in the Lekki area of Lagos.

“On September 8, 2019, I told her (the assistant pastor) that I was going to Lagos for the laying of hands but the programme started late and there was nowhere to sleep because I had no one I could stay within Lagos. She told me to call and tell Feyi that I had no one to stay with for the night, and I did.

“He said there was no problem, and this made me follow him to his house with some other members, including Bro Israel and his wife, but they later left the house that same day,” she said.