Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Friday, jailed Bishop of I Reign Christian Ministry, Lagos, Feyiropo Daniels, for life for raping his 23-year-old assistant.
Daniels was also jailed three years for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old member of the church.
The presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, held that the Bishop should spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility.
Justice Oshodi, who stated that the prosecution established the ingredients of the two offences, described Daniels as a liar who lacked regard for truth.
But the judge discharged and acquitted the cleric on count two of the charge bordering on the rape of another member of the church (name withheld).
The court 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 bordering on 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 at the cleric’s residence in the Lekki area of Lagos.
She said, “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 with in 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.”