The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced Prophet Ajiboye Abayomi Olayinka, founder of the Mission House of Divine Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, to life imprisonment for sexually abusing underage members of his congregation.
Justice Hammed Aliyu Gegele delivered the judgment on Wednesday, May 13, after finding the cleric guilty of several offences connected to unlawful sexual relations and abuse of minors.
According to the court, the offences were committed within the church mission house in the Agah area of Ganmo, where the convict served as the spiritual leader.
In his ruling, Justice Gegele stated that Olayinka exploited his position of authority and subjected the victims to emotional and physical trauma.
The judge recalled testimony from one of the victims, who alleged that the cleric took her to the church’s generator house and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her while using anointing oil as lubricant.
The victim also claimed she was repeatedly summoned after church vigils for further sexual acts.
The court further heard that the victims were allegedly compelled to swear secrecy using a Bible and threatened them with death if they disclosed the incidents.
Apart from the life sentence, Olayinka was also handed a 14-year prison term for carrying out illegal abortions linked to the abuse.
The cleric had earlier been arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, unlawful sexual intercourse, illegal abortion, and unlawful possession of firearms.
During the trial, the prosecution called 13 witnesses and tendered some exhibits to establish their case against the suspect.
Justice Gegele agreed with the prosecution that the suspect committed the acts, noting that the charges of rape and illegal abortion were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge, however, said the charge of bigamy was not convincingly proven. He therefore discharged the convict on that charge.
He ordered that the pump-action gun recovered from the convict be forfeited to the federal government.
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