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Two more ladies accuse Lagos bishop of rape, narrate ordeal

Published

3 years ago

June 9, 2022

FCID Annex, Alagbon

Following an allegation of rape against a Lagos-based pastor, identified only as Bishop Daniels, two former members of his church have claimed that they were also raped by the cleric.

The two victims, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said the suspect used a similar trick of summoning them from their branches to his house in Lekki, Lagos State, claiming that they committed offences for which they would be punished before sleeping with them.

Our correspondent had earlier reported that an assistant pastor in the church’s branch outside Lagos accused Daniels, who is married with children, of raping her twice at his Lekki house, adding that she bled in her private parts.

The 22-year-old victim said she petitioned the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, in a bid to get justice.

Daniels, when contacted, denied knowing any pastor bearing the victim’s name.

But the spokesperson for the FCID, Niyi Ogundeyi, said Daniels was arrested and detained for six days over that incident.

The two latest victims, in separate interviews with our correspondent, said they had also petitioned the FCID over the matter.

Recounting her ordeal, one of the ex-worshippers said Daniels also raped her twice, adding that in one instance, the pastor made her lose consciousness.

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She said, “He summoned me to his house in Lekki, Lagos, for punishment and when I got there, he immediately ordered me to get an alcoholic drink.

“After getting it, he ordered me to drink it, but I refused. He got angry that I disobeyed him and kept compelling me to drink it. After drinking a little portion, he told me to drink on, till I became unconscious.

“I found myself naked after he woke me up the next day. He told me he was going out and warned me against opening the door for anybody as he left. I was completely naked and felt his semen around my private parts.

“I cleaned myself and while in the house, a church member, Rachael, knocked on the door. I opened the door and she went inside to pick something and left. When Daniels returned, I told him Rachael came and he became angry that I opened the door for her and started asking if she saw me naked.

“I came to his house from Ekiti State, but he chased me out around 4pm. I got to the park to board a bus to Ekiti around 7pm and the bus departed for Ekiti around 9pm. We had to stop on the way when it was very late. We got to Ekiti around 7am the next day.”

Another former worshipper at Daniel’s church said he used the same tactics of suspension and punishment to lure her to his house in Lagos, where he allegedly raped her.

She said, “I didn’t do anything wrong in church, but I was suddenly told that I had been suspended and should report to Lagos. Daniels told me to tell the assistant pastor of our branch that I was reporting at the church in Lagos instead of his house.

“When I got there, I had not even dropped my bag or rested from the long journey when he said I should go naked. I said, ‘Go naked like how?’ and he slapped me. I was alone with him and afraid. I quickly pulled off my clothes and after seeing my nakedness, he said I should go and have my bath.

“Later on, he asked if I took alcohol and I said no. He said there was a type of alcohol that I could take that was nice. He gave me the alcoholic drink, I drank it, got drunk and he started making sexual advances at me. Even in my state, I resisted, but he forcefully had sex with me. I had to leave his house and return to school.”

The victim lamented that Daniels allegedly raped her on multiple occasions, adding that he was also used to drinking alcohol.

Asked why she kept visiting Daniels’ house despite her experience, she said, “I don’t know; it was like I was scared; everyone is scared of him. I was 18-year-old and he manipulated me in many ways. Sometimes, he lured me to take alcohol or pills and had sex with me when I became unconscious.

“At times, he would just give order to me to go naked and forcefully have sex with me. Other victims can confirm this. He did not act like he was a pastor with me. I saw him drink alcohol to the point that he started staggering in the whole room, and at times, he vomited. He also gave me different things to swear that I would not tell anybody.

“The second experience was even worse. Despite forcefully having sex with me, he brought a lot of ladies to his house, gave them drugs to use and claimed he was counselling them. He made me do things that were beyond my age when I was 18 years old.

“After I left his house and church, the experiences affected me to the point that I stopped talking to people and had to be taking pills to sleep. I want justice to save other victims.”

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Recordings of other ex-worshippers narrating their ordeals in the hands of Daniels were obtained by our correspondent.

The FCID spokesperson, Ogundeyi, confirmed that the two victims had also made statements against Daniels.

He said, “Apart from the first complainant (assistant pastor), two other victims have made statements that he raped them. Apart from these three victims, we are expecting two other ladies that said they were also sexually abused by this Bishop Daniels.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent monitored online comments on the assistant pastor’s story against Daniels, which was published on punchng.com and through its social media handles.

While some readers commended the 22-year-old for having the courage to speak out, others blamed her for visiting Daniels’ house after the first rape.

Responding to the criticism, the victim, who stated that some of the comments were depressing, said, “My first and second encounters had a six-month interval. I visited his house knowing that he was not alone. I met a pastor and the pastor’s fiancée at his house and we all slept there.

“The pastor and his fiancée left the following day and it was after he realised I was alone with him that he raped me. It was after the incident that I believed a church member’s claim of sexual assault against Daniels and how he did everything to make sure she had no evidence.

“I knew at that moment that I needed evidence and started acting stupid to get it. He used names of highly revered priests to manipulate victims. I have recordings and chats with him to prove my case.

“In fact, he usually ordered me to delete my chats with him and before deleting, I would screen grab and send to a confidant. I have submitted all the evidence at the FCID, Alagbon. He needs to be stopped because of the safety of other people.”

Related Topics:Bishop Featured ladies Lagos ordeal rape

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NLC insists on withdrawal of Tax Reform Bills

Published

23 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

NLC insists on withdrawal of Tax Reform Bills

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday insisted on the withdrawal of the Tax Reform Bills forwarded by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly for passage to enable all key national stakeholders to be part of the process.

Recall that the bills had drawn sharp criticisms from some parts of the country, especially the north, which saw them as anti-growth in the region.

It also implored the government at all levels to prioritise the welfare and well-being of the citizens in 2025.

In its New Year message to Nigerians, especially workers, the President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, equally said organised labour would step up its battle for an upward wage review for workers to mitigate the high costs of living.

The message, titled “In 2025, hope is in our collective resolve,’’ read: “As we step into the year 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, extends warm New Year greetings to every worker and citizen across our great nation.

‘’The challenges of survival we have faced as a people must not hold us down. Instead, let us find inner strength to build a collective resolve to drive Nigeria out of the morass of underdevelopment that has held it captive for far too long.

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“No external power will deliver us from the scourge of economic hardship and stagnation. It is only through our collective effort and determination that we can propel our nation forward.

“We must build inner strength to find this collective resolve across the length and breadth of our great nation. This is our civic responsibility—one we must embrace with unwavering determination.
“We call on the government at all levels to ensure that governance translates into real benefits for the people. The welfare of the citizens remains the primary justification for the existence of any government.

“Access to food and nutrition, better healthcare, quality housing, education, transportation and greater security of lives and properties, including the right to participate in decisions on how they are ruled, are the key expectations of the people and workers.

“Policies must, therefore, reflect transparency, honesty, and inclusivity, devoid of chicanery, nepotism, and strong-arm tactics.

“To create a thriving, democratic nation, we need a system built on the tenets of social dialogue, allowing critical stakeholders to participate actively in nation-building. Such inclusiveness will foster deeper ownership of government policies, ensuring stability and sustainability.

“It is on this premise that we once again call on the federal government to withdraw its present tax bills before the National Assembly so that all key national stakeholders will be part of the process.
‘’As we embark on a national dialogue in Ibadan in January, 2025, we want to join hands in co-creating a new national tax law that would enjoy wider acceptance and fulfill its purpose of propelling national development which we believe is the main objective of government.

“As we move into 2025, we urge the federal government to prioritize industrial peace by taking social dialogue seriously, pursuing pro-human-progress policies, and respecting agreements with trade unions.

NLC insists on withdrawal of Tax Reform Bills

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Wike: Demolition of illegal buildings, shanties in FCT to continue

Published

42 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike

Wike: Demolition of illegal buildings, shanties in FCT to continue

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike has vowed that he will continue his demolition of shanties, illegal buildings and enforcement of payment of ground rent in the territory in the new year without bothering about what anybody will say.

Speaking after he inspected the ongoing construction Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and Saburi – Dei Dei road, in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike said he will not be distracted by the controversies that have trailed his ongoing demolition of structures in the FCT.

“Nothing distracts me. I am very focused,” Wike replied when asked by journalists whether the outcries over ongoing demolition and enforcement of ground rent may cause a huge distraction in 2025.

“Even if people are complaining, it is part of governance. You don’t expect that you will superintend over the affairs of people and then you satisfy everybody.

“People must complain, but I can tell you such complaints cannot distract us. I am very focused, and since it is part of our job, we will continue to do what is necessary.

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“Forget about what people say about demolition, demolition must go ahead. We demolish shanties, we demolish illegal buildings. It doesn’t matter what anybody will say.

“At the end of the day, they will still come back to say, ‘you did a good job.’

“So, don’t bother about what people say, be focused and at the end of the day, you will achieve results for a greater number of people, not for a few individuals,” Wike added.

The Minister however said the FCT Administration will do more for the residents of the capital city in 2025.

According to him, things will get better, God willing, for residents of FCT in the coming year.

“All we still require is the support of residents; of business owners, so that we can achieve more than what we have achieved in 2024.

“So, I pray that God Almighty will continue to protect us and give us better security as we experienced in 2024.

“Everybody can see, even within this festive period, security is quite intact, and we believe in 2025, we will get a better Abuja,” he said.

Wike: Demolition of illegal buildings, shanties in FCT to continue

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Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack

Published

1 hour ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

It took authorities more than a week to identify the victim of the 22 December incident

Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack

Police in New York City have named a woman who was set on fire and burned to death last week on a subway train in Brooklyn.

Debrina Kawam, 57, of New Jersey, has been identified as the victim of the seemingly random 22 December attack that burned her body beyond recognition.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is accused of starting the blaze with a lighter while Ms Kawam was asleep. He allegedly fanned the flames with a shirt and then watched the fire grow from a bench outside the subway car.

Last week, a grand jury indicted Mr Zapeta, who claims to have no memory of the incident, on four counts of murder and one count of arson.

Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, said the death was ruled a homicide and caused by “thermal and inhalational injuries”. She made the identification public on Tuesday.

“The identity was confirmed by the medical examiner yesterday through fingerprint analysis, following a multi-agency effort with our partners in law enforcement,” she said.

It took authorities more than a week to identify Ms Kawam’s body.

At a press conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that Ms Kawam had recently spent time at a city homeless shelter.

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“It really reinforces what I’ve been saying, people should not be living on our subway system, they should be in a place of care. And no matter where she lived, that should not have happened,” he said.

Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, said at a press conference early in the investigation that authorities had worked to collect DNA evidence and fingerprints from Ms Kawam’s remains.

“It’s a priority for me, for my office, for the police department to identify this woman, so we can notify her family,” Mr Gonzalez said.

False and unverified information about her, including a fake AI-generated picture, had circulated online in the aftermath of the attack.

There was also an outpouring of support, including a vigil held for the then-unidentified victim last week.

Police say that Ms Kawam was motionless, apparently asleep, on a stationary subway train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn early on 22 December when Mr Zapeta allegedly approached her with a lighter.

The pair never interacted, and police believe they did not know each other.

Jessica Tisch, New York’s police commissioner, said that the smell of smoke drew police officers and Metropolitan Transit Authority personnel to the fire and they extinguished the flames.

“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Ms Tisch said.

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Authorities declared Ms Kawam dead at the scene.

Ms Tisch described the incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being”.

In a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutor Ari Rottenberg said Mr Zapeta told investigators that he had been drinking and did not remember the incident, but did identify himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit.

The suspect, who is originally from Guatemala, was deported from the US in 2018 and later re-entered the country illegally, immigration authorities said.

He is due back in court on 7 January, prosecutors said.

Despite a decline in crime rates on New York City’s subway, the incident is one of a string of attacks that has raised concerns for riders on America’s largest mass transit system.

The subway safety issue arose again on Tuesday afternoon when someone was pushed on to the tracks in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood in front of an oncoming subway, according to New York City police.

The unidentified male victim was admitted to hospital with a head injury, authorities said. Police later detained a suspect, according to local media.