MICHAEL AKINOLA
Pastor Emmanuel Orekoya, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has finally regained freedom after witnesses failed to testify before the Court over allegation of defiling his 17-year old daughter in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court discharged him and struck out the matter after the prosecutor failed to present any witnesses including the victim after 10 adjournments.
The presiding judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye, struck out the case and discharged Orekoya of the charge for lack of diligent prosecution because the prosecution failed to present witnesses in court to prove the allegations against Orekoya.
The trial judge stated that the case of the prosecution is a colossal waste of time as there was no single witness in Court to testify against the Pastor after 10 adjournments.
“This case is struck out for want of diligence prosecution.”
The Lagos State Government had on 26th February, 2024, arraigned Pastor Orekoya on a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration on his daughter.
“After the arraignment, no witness ever came up before this Court to testify. It is right that justice delayed is justice denied.”
“Prosecution is at liberty to re-arrest the defendant and bring him to justice whenever they have assembled their witnesses to prosecute this case” the presiding judge said.
During the arraignment, the prosecuton alleged that Orekoya defiled his daughter sometime in 2017 at Jacob Adeleye Street, Odoeran, in the Itire area of Surulere, Lagos.
The prosecution further alleged that Orekoya inserted his dick into the victim, an offence which contravened Sections 137 and 162 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He was subsequently arrested and charged before the Court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of the State which attracts life imprisonment.
However, Pastor Orekoya pleaded not guilty. The matter was adjourned for trial but no witness came to the Court to testify hence the Court struck it out accordingly.
If witnesses had come to testify against the defendant and he is found guilty before the Court, he may have been sentenced to life imprisonment as stipulated by the Criminal Laws of the State.