A popular Lagos bishop, Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, has been jailed for life for raping his 23-year-old assistant (name withheld).
Daniels’ sentence was handed over to him by Justice Rahman Oshodi of an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday.
Recall that Daniels is the Bishop of I Reign Christian Ministry, Lagos.
He was also sentenced to three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old member of the church (count three of the four-count charge).
Furthermore, Justice Oshodi stated that the prosecution was able to prove its claims beyond reasonable doubts, while ordering the cleric to spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility, Lagos.
According to him, 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 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 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Similarly, the Presiding Chief Magistrate of a Minna Magistrate Court, Hajiya Ummulkhatum Mohammed, has ordered that two middle-aged men be remanded in a correctional center for allegedly gang-raping a 12-year-old girl.
The defendants, Umaru Hussaini and Zulkifilu Musa, are residents of the Sabon Gari area of Kagara, headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
They were said to have lured the 12 year old into Musa_s room, where they had canal knowledge of her one after the other.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Bello Mohammed Beji, had told the court that the two defendants were arraigned for unlawful sexual intercourse with a child.
He said the offence contravened sections 79 of the Penal Code Law and section 26 (2) of the Niger State Child Rights Act 2021.
Beji explained that one Lawal Haruna of the Sabon Gari area of the same address had reported to Kagara Divisional Police headquarters that the two alleged rapists lured his 12-year-old daughter to the room and gang-raped her.
According to him, immediately, the police got the report, detectives swung into action, leading to the arrest of the two defendants.
“During police interrogatio, each of them confessed to having committed the offence,” the prosecutor disclosed.
However, when the charges were read by the presiding chief magistrate, Hajiya Hussaini, one of them, Umaru Hussaini, pleaded guilty.
But Zulkifilu Musa pleaded not guilty to the crime.
The prosecutor applied for the adjournment of the case to enable the police bring witnesses for commencement of full trial.
The presiding magistrate ordered that the defendants be kept in correctional custody, and adjourned the case to February 14, 2024.