Metro

Two More Ladies Accuse Lagos Bishop Of Rape, Narrate Ordeal

Published

4 years ago

June 9, 2022

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.

The 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 The PUNCH, 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.

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.”

Recordings of other ex-worshippers narrating their ordeals in the hands of Daniels were obtained by The PUNCH

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.”

PUNCH

Metro

Edo Assembly Declares Okpebholo’s Projects Unprecedented

Published

9 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

The Edo State House of Assembly has described projects embarked upon by Governor Monday Okpebholo as unprecedented in the history of Edo State.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Atu Osamwonyi, made the assertion when he led members of the legislature on a comprehensive oversight inspection of several ongoing infrastructural projects.

Other lawmakers on the oversight team included Hon. Addeh Isibor, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, and Hon. Ugabi Kingsley.

Hon. Osamwonyi, who spoke during an assessment tour of the Sapele Road Flyover, said the lawmakers were in the field to verify the progress of work and ensure that funds appropriated by the Assembly were being judiciously utilised.

According to him, the flyover represents a milestone for Benin City and reflects the governor’s commitment to infrastructural renewal.

He emphasised that unlike past administrations where funds were approved with no tangible results, the Okpebholo-led government had demonstrated transparency and visible delivery.

“In my entire life in Edo State, this flyover project is the first of its kind. We are here physically, and work is ongoing,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker added that the Assembly had earlier inspected the Ramat Park Flyover on Monday, noting similar levels of progress.

“This is the fifth site we have visited since yesterday. We are impressed with what we have seen so far, and as a House, we will stand by the governor to ensure he finishes strong,” he said.

At Ogheghe, Old Sapele Road and Ekae Road—where a 14-kilometre road and concrete drainage network is underway—Hon. Osamwonyi described the construction efforts as unprecedented, expressing astonishment at the level of work done within a short period.

He insisted that the legislature does not play politics with accountability and would speak the truth at all times.

“If Governor Okpebholo was not doing well, we would say it. But I stand here today to affirm that the funds appropriated are being used judiciously for the benefit of the people.l”, he noted.

He further remarked that despite limited financial resources, the governor had delivered projects many believed were impossible.

The Deputy Speaker recalled that several communities, particularly in Ogheghe, previously suffered from severe road degradation that made access impossible, even for motorcycles.

“But today we are standing here with joy. The governor has brought democracy to Edo in a way the people can feel,” he said.

According to him, contractors handling the projects confirmed that although the initial timeline was two years, work would likely be completed within one year and six months due to the speed of implementation.

“That tells you that Governor Okpebholo is not eating Edo people’s money,” he added.

Hon. Osamwonyi stressed that the Assembly would resist any attempt to derail the governor’s momentum.

“This is the continuity we want in Edo State. Anybody who wants to thwart the governor’s efforts, we will not agree,” he said.

The oversight team also visited the 5.86-kilometre road project linking Amagba and Obagie-N’Ebvuosa, where the engineer handling the project reported that 4.3 kilometres of drainage had already been completed.

Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

15 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

15 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.