A Sexual offences and Domestic Viol€nce Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has remanded the founder of ‘I Reign Christian Ministry’, bishop Daniel Oluwafeyiropo, for allegedly raping two of his church members (names withheld).
Many 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.