LAGOS, Nigeria – An assistant pastor on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, shared her horrifying account of sexual assault before the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, implicating a prominent religious figure, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo ‘Feyi’ Daniel, as her assailant.
Bishop Daniel, the founder of 1 Reign Christian Ministry, faces an amended three-count-charge of rape and sexual assault, to which he has pled not guilty.
In a chilling testimony, the 23-year-old assistant pastor, whose identity is being withheld, recounted how the bishop, who she once revered as her spiritual father, allegedly raped her on two separate occasions.
She explained that she initially encountered the bishop during a “Strictly Supernatural” event in Akungba, Akoko, Ondo State, in 2018.
Inspired by the bishop’s ministry, she joined the church and quickly rose to the position of assistant pastor.
The alleged assaults took place in June 2020 at the bishop’s residence on Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos State.
The assistant pastor recalled, “I was listening to Pastor Chris’s message when Bishop came to the chair I was sitting on and told me to go naked. For fear of what happened a day before, I went naked, and Bishop locked the door, increased the volume of the television and went naked also.”
The witness alleged that the bishop raped her and then held against her will in the house. She was threatened with insanity if she disclosed the assault. Despite her pleas, she alleges that the bishop raped her a second time.
“On June 22, I sent a message to Pastor Boluwatishe and informed him that I had been raped,” she testified in court.
The assistant pastor also claimed that the bishop attempted to suppress her allegations. She testified that Oluwafeyiropo brought out a rod, forcing her to swear that she would go mad if she told anyone about the rapes.
She alleged that the bishop then took her to a hospital, where she was treated by a church member who was told that a friend had raped her.
The allegations against Daniel extend beyond the assistant pastor. He is also accused of sexually assaulting another person and forcefully sucking the breasts of a 19-year-old.
According to the Lagos State Government, which is prosecuting the case, these actions contravene Sections 260(2) and 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Justice Ramon Oshodi has adjourned the case until May 24 for cross-examination of the witness and continuation of the trial.
