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Lagos pastor Feyi Daniels bags life imprisonment for raping church members

Published

2 years ago

January 26, 2024

Feyi Daniels

Lagos pastor Feyi Daniels bags life imprisonment for raping church members

Feyi Daniels, founder of I Reign Christian Ministry, was on Friday committed to life imprisonment for raping his church members.

The trial judge, Rahman Oshodi of Ikeja sexual offences and domestic violence court found the cleric guilty of rape and sexual assault of two female worshippers.

Daniels was arraigned by the Lagos State Government for rape and sexual assault of his church members.

The cleric faced trial on an amended four-count charge bordering on rape, sexual assault and attempted rape.

The pastor was accused of sexually assaulting three of his church members at his residence in Lekki and on his church premises in Ikeja.

In May 2023, the cleric was remanded in court for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman at his Lekki residence.

The church member had told the court that the cleric had sex with her during a prayer session, while speaking in tongues.

Oshodi held that the prosecution established the ingredients of the two offences against him by a 19-year-old church member and 23-year-old assistant.

According to him, Daniels is a liar and does not have any regard for truth.

Newstrends earlier reported that the Bishop, who took to the witness box in his own defence, testified that he believed three out of the four women who accused him of sexually assaulting them conspired to turn against him.

While fielding questions under cross-examination, the prosecution’s lead counsel, Babajide Boye, sought to establish that the defendant, Bishop Daniels, had a ‘personal relationship’ with the four women.

Boye alleged that the defendant had counseled one of the women, given the amount of N100,000 to another for hospital treatment, paid school fees for a third, and related with a fourth as a leader in the campus fellowship affiliated with his ministry at Akungba-Akobo in Ondo State.

But the Bishop denied giving money to one of the women for treatment. He said, “I believe all three ladies turned against me, but not (name withheld) because she later apologised to me.”

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When asked why the accusations from the ladies were all sexual in nature, the defendant said he didn’t know.

Boye also accused the defendant of using his position as a Pastor to manipulate persons who come to him for counseling.

“You are a man of God. Are you not? A powerful man of God. You get trained to counsel, and you use wisdom and the leading of the spirit to manipulate,” he asked.

However, Daniels denied this allegation, saying, “I am not a powerful man; I am a pastor. I do not use power to counsel people; I am not a manipulator.”

The Prosecutor further grilled the defendant, “You visited your Akungba fellowship centre, and when she (one of the alleged victims) saw you, she hissed. Were you not surprised as a pastor?

“No. She was disgruntled because I couldn’t help her financially.”

The defendant also denied tampering with the WhatsApp messages between him and one of his alleged victims.

During the cross-examination, the prosecutor also sought to tender four statements purportedly written by the defendant whilst in police custody at various intervals last year.

“There are contradictions between the defendant’s testimony and the contents of the documents. We seek to use them to impeach his testimony. We rely on section 232 of the Evidence Act, that evidence even though obtained improperly is still admissible and we urge the court to admit same,” Boye said.

The defence counsel, Adebayo Adegbite, raised objections to the admissibility of the statements. He argued that the statements were not made by the defendant and that the Bishop signed them under duress.

“The statements are a mixture of confession and denial. We leave it to the court to determine whether they amount to a confession. Right from the start of this trial, the defendant has denied the charges, that’s his plea. The documents weren’t made voluntarily. Even if there were contradictions, he wasn’t the maker of the documents, they were written by the police,” Adegbite stated.

Meanwhile, in his ruling, Justice Rahman Oshodi admitted the documents. The judge said, “By section 9(3) and (4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State (2021), the presence of a video testimony of the suspect is desirable but not compulsory. I will admit the documents and later consider the evidential value to place on them. The objection of the defence is hereby overruled.”

Lagos pastor Feyi Daniels bags life imprisonment for raping church members

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Six Feared Dead as Passenger Boat Crashes on Lagos Waterway, Four Rescued

Published

2 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

15 Rescued As Boat Crash Kill Two In Lagos

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Six Feared Dead as Passenger Boat Crashes on Lagos Waterway, Four Rescued

No fewer than six passengers have been confirmed dead, while four others were rescued, following a boat accident on the Nigerdock axis of the Igbologun Water Channel in Lagos State on Tuesday night.

The tragic incident was confirmed in a joint statement issued on Wednesday by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

According to the statement, signed by LASWA Head of Public Affairs, Wuraola Alake, and NIWA Lagos Area Office Head of Corporate Affairs, Omowunmi Yussuff, the accident occurred at about 8:35 p.m. and involved a Savvy Marine passenger boat travelling from Ilashe Beach House.

The agencies said the boat ran into difficulty while navigating the channel, prompting an immediate distress alert that led to the deployment of emergency response teams, working in collaboration with the Marine Police and other first responders.

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“As of the time of this report, four passengers have been successfully rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where they are receiving medical attention. Sadly, six other passengers were recovered dead at the scene. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing to account for all persons on board,” the statement said.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the vessel may have collided with a submerged object, although authorities noted that a comprehensive investigation is underway to establish the exact cause of the accident.

LASWA and NIWA expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring safety on Lagos inland waterways.

The agencies also urged waterway users to strictly adhere to safety regulations, including proper navigation procedures and compliance with the night travel rule, while advising members of the public to rely only on verified information from official sources.

Six Feared Dead as Passenger Boat Crashes on Lagos Waterway, Four Rescued

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MPAC Condemns Threats Against Igbo Muslims, Calls for Immediate Security Action

Published

4 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

MPAC Executive Chairman Disu Kamor

MPAC Condemns Threats Against Igbo Muslims, Calls for Immediate Security Action

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Nigeria has condemned in strong terms an alarming audio recording circulating on social media that allegedly calls for violence against Igbo Muslims, describing it as hate speech and a direct incitement to criminality.

The audio, which gained widespread attention on TikTok, is attributed to Mazi Kanayo and reportedly urges members of the Igbo ethnic group to abduct, brutalize, and eliminate fellow Igbos who practice Islam, while falsely accusing them of abandoning their faith for material gain.

In a statement released on Wednesday, MPAC Executive Chairman Disu Kamor warned that such rhetoric poses a serious threat to public safety and undermines Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of life, religious freedom, and peaceful coexistence.

“History has repeatedly shown that genocidal rhetoric does not start with violence—it begins with words left unchecked, unchallenged, and unpunished,” the statement read.

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MPAC urged security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to investigate the origin and circulation of the audio and ensure that all those responsible are identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The group also called on regulatory authorities and social media platforms to take swift action to curb the spread of content that promotes hatred or threatens communal harmony, and asked political, community, and religious leaders—particularly in the South-East—to publicly denounce the incitement to violence and reaffirm their commitment to peaceful coexistence.

MPAC stressed that freedom of expression does not include incitement to murder, ethnic cleansing, or religious persecution, urging Nigerians to reject divisive narratives and stand against attempts to weaponize ethnicity or religion.

“The security of one group is inseparable from the security of all,” the statement emphasized.

The organization confirmed it will continue engaging authorities and monitoring the situation to ensure that the dangerous rhetoric is addressed before it escalates into violence.

MPAC Condemns Threats Against Igbo Muslims, Calls for Immediate Security Action

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MURIC Calls for Arrest of Maazi Kanayo Over Alleged Threats to Igbo Muslims

Published

6 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola

MURIC Calls for Arrest of Maazi Kanayo Over Alleged Threats to Igbo Muslims

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on Nigerian security agencies to arrest and prosecute Maazi Kanayo for allegedly inciting the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria to kidnap and kill Igbo Muslims.

The call was made in a statement released on Wednesday, 31st December, 2025, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola. According to the organization, a viral audio clip showed Kanayo allegedly instructing potential kidnappers and attackers to target Muslims of Igbo extraction living in Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo States.

“Maazi Kanayo specifically directed his potential kidnappers and killers to target Muslims of Igbo extraction. This is the last thing Nigeria needs at a time when the country faces serious insecurity,” the statement said.

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MURIC described the threats as extremely dangerous, warning that the audio could put thousands of Igbo Muslims’ lives at risk, including some who hold positions as traditional rulers, potentially triggering communal tensions in the South East.

“Every minute counts as the lives of thousands of people hang in the balance,” Professor Akintola said, urging the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police to take immediate action against Kanayo.

MURIC emphasized that the threats were directed at individuals simply for embracing Islam, framing the issue as a grave human rights and security concern. The organization called on the public to remain vigilant and support security agencies in protecting at-risk communities.

#DSS, #NigeriaPolice, #PlotToKillIgboMuslims, #NoToMuslimGenocide.