Pastor Fatoyinbo Denies Raping Busola Dakolo, Mulls Legal Option

AISHA ABUBAKAR

Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, the Senior Pastor of The Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) has stated that he is innocent of the rape allegations levelled against him by Ms Busola Dakolo.

In a two-page statement released by the Church, titled: “I have NEVER RAPED before, not even as an unbeliever!”, the popular Pastor claimed that he has never raped anyone in his life, not even as an unbeliever.

Busola, celebrity photographer and wife of a popular Nigerian singer, Timi Dakolo, had in a video interview released few days ago, accused the pastor of abusing her at the age 17.

However, Fatoyinbo, in the released statement has threatened to sue Busola and has already briefed his lawyers for the next steps over the damning rape allegation.

“The leadership of the church and I have briefed our lawyers to commence criminal and civil actions against all individual 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.” Fatoyinbo stated.

Part of the statement read, “I am aware that there has been a recent media publication on YouTube by YNaija operated and owned by RED Media Group which shows an interview by Chude Jideonwo with Busola Dakolo.

“Prior to now, we had adhered to our policy of ignoring rumours from social media accounts as we knew that several statements had been made to extort the church of money and myself through blackmail, harassment and intimidation. We have refused time and again to accede to their request, which has infuriated them over time, because of this they have gotten more aggressive.

“Unlike previous statements where innuendos were used and there was no direct mention of myself or the Church, the recent video released on YouTube has now made direct criminal allegations against me in the interview granted by Busola Dakolo which are fallacious, non-existent and which are all denied in every measure.

“As an individual and as a Church, we love and support people and we would never condone any form of abuse, harassment, or intimidation of anyone. I have never in my life raped anybody, even as an unbeliever and I’m absolutely innocent of this.

“Busola Dakolo, who has made this false allegation and her family attended the church during the early start of the church in Ilorin in 1999. I never had any private interactions with her beyond my pastoral duties. Looking at her status and that of her husband, I am dumbfounded why she would say such a thing.

“As expected under the ethics of Journalism, it would have been expected that I should be confronted with these false allegations prior to any publication, instead of resorting to the social media with the intent to ruin my reputation and bring down the church.”

Busola’s allegation would be the second after another lady, Ese Walter accused Fatoyinbo of sexually assaulted her couple of years ago.

Busola in an interview with Y!Naija said some years ago, while she was still below the age of 18, the pastor allegedly visited her parents’ home when no one was in the house and allegedly raped her.

She alleged, “We were living in a duplex at the time. The gate is usually open and people would just knock on the living room door and we would open. My mum had travelled with my sister and it was just my other sister in the house. The house was so big that if you were upstairs, you would not know what is happening downstairs.

“Someone knocked on the door around 6.30am or 7:00 a.m. It was pretty early, I was still in my nightgown. I asked who it was and he said Pastor Biodun. I was wondering what he was doing in our house so early.

She said, “He was already married at that time and his wife had just given birth to a baby”