Fatoyinbo: Why I snubbed PFN panel investigating rape allegation

Biodun Fatoyinbo, pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), says he refused to appear before the panel set up by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to probe the rape allegation against him because his lawyers realised the sitting might be “partial”.

The clergy man has been in the eye of the storm after Bukola, celebrity photographer and wife of Timi Dakolo, Nigerian gospel singer, claimed he raped her on two occasions as a teenager.

Following the social media frenzy and heated protests that trailed Dakolo’s claims, Fatoyinbo was forced to temporary step down from the church’s pulpit for the case to be investigated.

On Thursday, the PFN announced that its probe into the rape allegations against Fatoyinbo has remained inconclusive because the clergyman failed to appear before it after being severally invited.

But in a statement on Friday, Ademola Adetuberu, spokesperson to Fatoyinbo, said the legal advice to ditch the panel came after comments attributed to Felix Omobude, PFN president, where he “crucified our pastor without seeking to know his side of the story on the matter”.

“We recall that when Pastor Fatoyinbo was invited by a phone call few days ago by Pastor Akinola Akinwale, who is the National Administrative Secretary of PFN, we explained that our Pastor would not honour the invitation due to legal advice hinged on the ongoing police investigation,” the statement read.

“The legal advice was also premised on the press statement issued and personally signed by the PFN President, Bishop Felix Omobude, where our Pastor was publicly disowned. Based on the foregoing, we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the PFN was already prejudiced and may not conduct an impartial session.

“According to the report, Rev. Omobude, whom we hold in high esteem, went further to crucify our Pastor without seeking to know his side of the story on the matter. With all due respect, we consider this a prejudicial position in dispensing justice and fairness.”

Busola had recently revealed how the police forced her to sign their invitation letter at gunpoint.