Metro

JUST IN: Pastor Bags Life Imprisonment Gor Raping Church Member

Published

2 years ago

January 26, 2024

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence court on Friday sentenced founder of iReign Christian Ministry, Feyi Daniels, to life imprisonment for “raping a church member”.

The trial judge, Rahman Oshodi, found the Lagos-based cleric guilty of rape and sexual assault of a female worshipper.

The PUNCH 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.”

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.”

Metro

Troops Destroy Bandits’ Camp, Arrest Seven Suspected Cultists In Benue

Published

8 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Army has intensified coordinated offensives across the North-Central, destroying a major bandits’ hideout in Taraba State and arresting seven suspected cultists in Benue in separate operations under the ongoing security push.

The fresh operations, conducted by troops of 6 Brigade, Jalingo, and Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, form part of broader kinetic deployments targeting bandits, violent gangs and criminal networks across Taraba, Benue and adjoining corridors.

In Taraba, troops under Operation Lafiya Nakowa conducted an extensive clearance operation on Friday around remote border villages in Takum Local Government Area.

The patrol, which covered Tor-Tser, Kofar Ahmadu, Tornyi, Unom, Mbayongo and Yongogba, followed credible intelligence on the presence of armed groups believed to be plotting attacks and using scattered farmlands as staging points.

According to a Saturday statement issued by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, troops received updated intelligence mid-operation that bandits had been sighted around TY Farm in Tati, sparking rapid redeployment.

“Confronted with the troops’ superior firepower, the bandits fled deep into the forest,” the Army said.

The soldiers then discovered and destroyed a major hideout at the farm location, recovering one Dane gun and other items believed to have been used by the fleeing fighters.

The Commander, 6 Brigade and Sector 3 OPWS, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, praised the soldiers for their conduct, saying their responsiveness was evidence of improved tactical mobility and renewed operational discipline.

He also reaffirmed the brigade’s resolve to tighten dominance around rural axes vulnerable to ambushes, illegal taxation and night incursions by armed cells.

Uwa urged locals to remain active partners in early-warning, stressing that actionable tip-offs have been critical to recent breakthroughs.

He called for “timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations.”

In a related development, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke carried out a precision raid on a suspected cult base in the North Bank axis of Makurdi, Benue State, an area repeatedly flagged for youth gang violence and drug-use clusters.

The raid, conducted on Thursday, October 30, led to the arrest of seven suspects, believed to be linked to armed robbery, drug activities and cult-linked retaliatory attacks within the state capital.

“During the operation, troops apprehended seven (7) suspected cultists believed to be involved in various criminal activities, including armed robbery, drug abuse, and cult-related violence.

“Items recovered from the hideout include two (2) locally fabricated pistols, one (1) laptop, one (1) cartridge, one (1) round of 7.62mm ammunition, one (1) empty 7.62mm shell casing, one (1) dagger, and several bags containing charms and other incriminating materials,” the statement partly read.

All seven suspects are now in military custody awaiting profiling and handover to relevant investigative agencies.

Force Commander OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, commended troops for their “professionalism, vigilance and resilience,” and directed continuous pressure on splinter gang structures within North Bank and neighbouring university communities.

He also issued a caution to youths, particularly tertiary institution students, warning against the lure of cult group identity.

He urged them to “shun cultism, drug abuse and other forms of criminal behaviour,” stressing the importance of discipline and patriotism.

Gara added that recent security gains will be consolidated, pledging that the Joint Task Force will continue large-area sweeps as part of its mandate to stabilise Taraba–Benue theatre communities.

Both operations came amid renewed concerns about arms trafficking routes linking Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and border forests stretching into Cameroon.

Metro

Police Bust Kidnap Ring, Rescue 23 Foreigners, Arrest 14 Suspects Near Abuja

Published

21 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismantled a transnational kidnapping syndicate that demanded N230 million ransom from foreign nationals lured into Nigeria under the guise of lucrative job offers.

Operatives of the command’s Scorpion Squad launched the sting operation around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State, a border community near Abuja.

Fourteen suspected kidnappers were arrested and 23 foreign nationals rescued in the process.

According to police findings, the victims, all West African nationals, were deceived into travelling to Nigeria by a criminal network posing as employment recruiters.

Upon arrival, the victims were held captive, and the kidnappers demanded ransom from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.

FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said on Friday that investigations identified the ringleader as Abubakar Jigiba, a suspected notorious cross-border criminal with known residences in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

The syndicate, she explained, demanded four million CFA francs (about N10 million) per person, a total ransom demand of N230 million.

Adeh confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down the principal suspect, Abubakar Jigiba, and his brother, Sougule Zoubere, both of whom remain at large.

She said: “In a major breakthrough against kidnapping and human trafficking, operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Scorpion Squad have successfully arrested fourteen (14) suspected kidnappers and rescued twenty-three (23) victims, all foreign nationals, from captivity.

“The intelligence-led operation took place at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 21st October 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

“The operation followed a report indicating that several foreign nationals had been lured into Nigeria under the pretext of lucrative job offers. Upon arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransom payments from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate is coordinated by one Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal kingpin with known residences in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria. His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, handles the recruitment, kidnapping and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they are detained pending ransom payments. The group demanded four million CFA (N10,000,000) for each victim.

“Further investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes in a journey lasting about three days. They were subsequently confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.

“Acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, the Scorpion Squad traced the hideout to the above address, where a total of twenty-three (23) victims — fourteen (14) males, eight (8) females and one (1) child — were rescued unhurt, except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.”

Metro

Woman Begs Court Not To Grant Husband’s Prayer For Divorce

Published

21 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

A housewife, Fauziya Ibrahim, has begged an Area Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, not to grant her husband, Hamza Musbau’s prayer of divorce.

She told the court that she does not want her marriage dissolved.

“I have been married to my husband for 16 years and I want to remain in this marriage,” she told the court.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Earlier, Hamza prayed for divorce on grounds of lack of love and affection.

The judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, said that on the strength of the provisions of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah allows a wife to seek for settlement, just as divorce is allowed.

He, therefore, advised Fauziya to try her best to make peace and settle any misunderstanding between them.

Aluko adjourned the case.