ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Justice Hammed Gegele of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced Pastor Ajiboye Olayinka to life imprisonment.
Olayinka, the General Overseer of the Mission House of Divine Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, was convicted of sexually assaulting three minors within his church premises.
Justice Gegele found the cleric guilty of multiple charges, including unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, illegal abortion and unlawful possession of firearms.
The judge noted that the convict betrayed his spiritual mandate, stating, “The convict turned his victims into sex machines, abusing them physically and mentally.”
He further emphasized that Olayinka exploited his leadership position to manipulate those entrusted to his care.
The prosecution revealed a harrowing pattern of abuse. The court heard that the prophet repeatedly impregnated some of the victims and forced them to undergo abortions.
To ensure their silence, he used intimidation and psychological warfare, compelling the girls to swear oaths of secrecy on the Bible under the threat of death.
READ ALSO One Killed, Pastor, Others Abducted By Gunmen In Kwara
Justice Gegele recounted a specific testimony from the trial.
“One of the victims narrated how the defendant took her to a generator house where he forcefully had sexual intercourse with her after applying anointing oil as lubricant.”
The victim also shared that she was frequently woken up after night vigils for repeated sexual encounters orchestrated by the cleric.
Describing the defendant as “a pedophile and philanderer,” Justice Gegele asserted that such actions are “unacceptable in any decent society.”
The court’s final orders included: “Three separate life sentences for the counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. 14 years’ imprisonment for carrying out illegal abortions. The forfeiture of a recovered pump-action gun to the Federal Government.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari, successfully argued the case using 12 witnesses and various exhibits.
The defendant had faced an eight-count charge violating the Penal Code, the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, and the Kwara State Child Rights Law.