Sexual assault: Cleric, Feyi Daniels, closes defence, tells court accusers conspired against him

ARINZE NWAFOR, Lagos 

Feyiropo Daniels, a pastor, has told a Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that he believes the three women who accused him of sexually assaulting them conspired and turned against him during the closing of his defence on Friday.

During cross-examination, the prosecution, led by Babajide Boye, sought to establish that the defendant, Daniels, the founder of the Lekki-based ‘I Reign Christian Ministry’ had a ‘personal relationship’ with four women and that he was manipulative.

Boye told the defendant that he had counselled one of the women, given the amount of N100,000 to one other woman for hospital treatment, paid school fees for a different other woman and related with the last woman, as a leader in the campus fellowship affiliated with his ministry at Akungba.

The defendant denied giving money to one of the women for treatment and denied that the claim by the prosecution that one of the women turned against him was true.

“I believe all three ladies turned against me, but not (name withheld). She later apologised to me,” Daniels said.

Boye told the defendant that his position as a pastor and being someone who people approach for counselling puts him in a position to manipulate people.

“You are a man of God. Are you not? A powerful man of God. People come to you for counselling because you are powerful,” Boye questioned the defendant.

Daniels said, “I am not a powerful man. I am a pastor. I do not use power to counsel people. People come to me for counselling because they have problems.” 

“You get trained to counsel, and you use wisdom and the leading of the Spirit,” the cleric continued. 

“I am not a manipulator,” Daniels told the court.

During the cross-examination, the defendant denied tampering with the WhatsApp messages between him and another witness named Boluwatife.

During the proceeding, Justice Rahman Oshodi admitted a set of extrajudicial statements from the Defense Counsel into evidence and marked them Exhibits E to E7.

Oshodi said he relied on judicial precedents to admit the extrajudicial statements presented by the Defence Counsel after considering their evidential value.

Oshodi adjourned the matter to December 20, 2023, for the adoption of counsel’s final written addresses.

Daniels is standing trial on an amended three-count charge bordering on rape and sexual assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.