The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced the General Overseer of Mission House of Divine Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, Prophet Ajiboye Abayomi Olayinka, to life imprisonment for raping minor members of his congregation.
Justice Hammed Aliyu Gegele delivered the judgment on Wednesday, May 13, after finding the cleric guilty of multiple offences involving unlawful sexual intercourse and illegal abortion.
According to the court, the offences were committed inside the church mission house located in the Agah area of Ganmo, where the convict served as spiritual leader.
The judge stated that the cleric abused his position of authority and subjected victims to physical and emotional trauma.
“One of the victims said he took her to the generator house to forcefully have s+x with her using anointing oil as lubricant and also woke her up after vigils for rounds of s+x,” the judge recounted.
The court heard that the victims were allegedly forced to swear secrecy with a Bible and threatened with death if they disclosed the abuse.
Olayinka was also sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for illegally aborting pregnancies linked to the assaults.
He had earlier been arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on cr+minal conspiracy, unlawful sexual intercourse, illegal abortion, and unlawful possession of firearms.
During the trial, the prosecution presented 12 witnesses and tendered several exhibits before the court.
Justice Gegele ruled that the prosecution successfully proved the charges of unlawful s+xual intercourse, rape, and illegal abortion, but failed to establish the charge of bigamy, leading to his discharge on that count.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of a pump-action gun recovered from the defendant to the Federal Government.