Daniel Oluwafeyiropo, popularly known as Bishop Feyi, a Lagos-based pastor, has been remanded in prison by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court pending the completion of his bail conditions for allegedly raping two of his church members.
The founder of the “I Reign Christian Ministry” was remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre by Justice Ramon Oshodi until his bail conditions were met.
Oshodi set bail at N20 million, with two N20 million sureties.
He noted that one of the sureties must hold a buildable property in Lagos State worth enough to cover the bail cost.
“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 leave his international passport with the chief registrar of the court and accelerated the case’s hearing.
Oshodi postponed the trial until May 9.
Earlier, in his bail application dated April 10, defence counsel Mr Olukunle Oyewole begged the court to give the defendant bail on liberal terms.
According to Oyewole, the defendant has been on administrative bail with the police since March 20, 2023, and has 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.
In his counter-affidavit dated April 14, Mr Babjide Boye, the state’s lead prosecution counsel, asked the court to dismiss the defendant’s bail motion, but left it up to the court’s discretion.
Boye, on the other hand, contended that the offense was serious and that the defendant would be forced to escape if convicted.
“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 already been charged with two charges of rape.
In contrast, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, the defendant committed the offenses in June 2020 at Ikota Villa Estate in Lekki, Lagos.
The accused offense, according to the prosecution, breached Sections 260 (2) of the Lagos State Criminal Laws of 2015.
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