A Lagos-based pastor, Daniel Oluwafeyiropo popularly known as Bishop Feyi, has been remanded in prison by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court pending the time he fulfilled his bail conditions for allegedly raping two of his church members.
Justice Ramon Oshodi remanded the founder of the “I Reign Christian Ministry” in Kirikiri Correctional Centre until his bail conditions were met.
Oshodi set bail at N20 million with two sureties in the same amount.
He stated that one of the sureties must be the owner of a build-up property in Lagos State, with a value sufficient to cover the bail amount.
“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 court’s chief registrar and accelerated the case’s hearing.
Oshodi adjourned the case until May 9 for trial.
Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr Olukunle Oyewole, urged the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms in his bail application dated April 10.
Oyewole argued that the defendant had been on administrative bail with the police since March 20, 2023, and had made himself available to them.
He said, “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 added.
Mr Babjide Boye, the state’s lead prosecution counsel, urged the court in his counter-affidavit dated April 14 to deny the defendant’s bail application, but left it up to the court’s discretion.
Boye, on the other hand, argued that the offence was serious and that the likelihood of conviction would put the defendant at risk of fleeing.
“There is also a 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 exceptional circumstances to grant him bail,” the prosecutor submitted.
Bishop Feyi had previously been charged with rape on two counts.
He, on the other hand, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defendant allegedly committed the offences in June 2020 at Ikota Villa Estate in Lekki, Lagos, according to the prosecution.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offence violated Sections 260 (2) of the Lagos State Criminal Laws of 2015.
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