AGENCY REPORT
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday remanded a popular Lagos clergyman, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, for allegedly raping two of his church members (names withheld).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a judge, Ramon Oshodi, remanded Bishop Daniel, the founder of I Reign Christian Ministry in Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
Oshodi admitted the defendant to N20 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
He said one of the sureties must be the owner of a build-up property in Lagos State and the property must be enough to cover the bail sum.
“The original document of the landed property must be submitted to the chief registrar of Lagos State. The sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must have three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State,” he said.
The judge also ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the chief registrar of the court and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
Oshodi adjourned the case until 9 May for trial.
Earlier, the defence counsel, Olukunle Oyewole, while moving his bail application dated 10 April, urged the court to grant bail to the defendant on liberal terms.
Oyewole argued that the defendant had been on police administrative bail since 20 May 2022 and had made himself available to the police.
“My lord, the defendant was not informed on the day the matter came up for the first time before this court. The defendant is a well-known religious leader and he has shown by his action that he will not jump bail. The offence for which he is charged is a bailable offence and he has credible sureties that can stand for him,” he said.
The state lead prosecution counsel, Babajide Boye, in his counter affidavit dated 14 April, urged the court to refuse the bail application of the defendant, but left it at the discretion of the court.
Boye, however, argued that the alleged offences were of a serious nature and that the likelihood of conviction might put the defendant at flight risk.
“There is also the possibility of the defendant interfering with the prosecution witnesses. He is a bishop of so many branches and if granted bail, he may use his position to influence the prosecution witnesses as he is regarded as a man of authority who has the possibility of committing the same crime. We urge the court to deny the defendant bail because he has failed to provide the court with exceptional circumstances to grant him bail,” the prosecutor submitted.
NAN reports that Bishop Daniel was earlier arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on rape.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, the defendant allegedly committed the offences sometime in June 2020 in Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravene Sections 260 (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
NAN
