ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Aide on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, has charged the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the Senior Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo.
This is even as ace comedian Alibaba has berated pastors for keeping quiet over the matter since the allegation was made public.
This comes after Busola Dakolo, photographer and wife of singer, Timi Dakolo accused Fatoyinbo of allegedly raping her as a teenager.
Onochie commented on the issues through her twitter account @laurestar
She spoke after the peaceful protests urging Fatoyinbo to step down held in Lagos and Abuja on Sunday.
Onochie said, “He raped me – Busola. I didn’t rape her – Fatoyinbo.
Me: What is the Police waiting for to invite this alleged rapist for questioning?
“This may lead to a polygraph or lie detector, telling us who is telling the truth. @PoliceNG pick him up, same way you’ll pick up an accused poor man!
“What I don’t understand is why Nigerians are calling on the alleged rapist, Biodun Fatoyibo to step down as a Pastor.
“Pastors are above board & above suspicion. He was never a Pastor. What we should be doing, is calling on the @PoliceNG to invite him for questioning,” she said.
The pastor had earlier officially denied the rape allegations with corroboration of his wife, Modele.
Meanwhile, the tag #PastorStepDown continues to trend on Twitter, Instagram and other media platforms.
In a related development, veteran comedian and social commentator, Alibaba has called out prominent pastors for keeping mute over the rape allegations levied against Biodun Fatoyinbo.
Despite the various comments on the issue, pastors of prominent Nigerian churches are yet to speak.
Alibaba noted that the case would have been different if it was about members of the church and not a fellow pastor.
He wrote @alibabacfr on Instagram, “When it comes to preaching against what members of the congregations are doing wrong, its in Vol 1, 2 and 3.
“Fornication, smoking, indecent dressing, drinking, night clubbing, polygamy, divorce, robbery, domestic violence, terrorism, being stingy, racism, corruption, greed, homosexuality, adultery, mixing with bad gang.
“But touch, not the Lord’s anointed and do my profits no harm,” Alibaba said.
Fatoyinbo, COZA pastor, steps down
——-Insists he has never raped, ‘even as an unbeliever’
Meanwhile, Biodun Fatoyinbo, the senior pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), has stepped down from the pulpit and as the senior pastor of the church.
In a statement released on Monday on his Instagram handle, he said the move was due to the advise of his mentors.
Fatoyinbo who had been in the news since Friday was accused by Busola Dakolo, a celebrity photographer and wife of Timi Dakolo, Nigerian musician, of raping her when she was almost 17.
He however denied the allegations stressing that he had never raped anyone before, ‘not even as an unbeliever’
“I have taken time to pray and seek spiritual counsel from Christian leaders around the world who feel very concerned about the ongoing reports in the media,” the statement read.
“I have solicited their guidance on actions I should take that is honouring to our Lord Jesus Christ and the work he has called me to do.
“Drawing from their counsel and that of the leadership of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly and owing to my love for God’s work and the sacred honour of my calling, I have decided to take a leave of absence from the pulpit of the church.
“This step enables me to submit to the concerns of my spiritual mentors as they consider all the issues that have been raised against me.
“Though I do not understand all that is happening, I trust the Lord to lead and guide me one step at a time.”
Reacting to the allegations last week, the office of the Senior Pastor in a public notice wrote: “We will also not stand for false criminal allegations made against me or the church. The leadership of the Church and l have briefed our lawyers to commence Criminal and Civil actions against all individuals making such false allegations whether directly or by proxies.
“We will as a church pursue every measure within the ambits of the law to bring the culprits to justice.
“We have heard and we will not be surprised to see more of such allegations by people who have been paid to continue in this line of blackmail, harassment and extortion including those who may have been dismissed from their duties in the church on disciplinary grounds,” he said.
