Court sentences General Overseer to life imprisonment for raping minors

The Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, on Wednesday convicted the General Overseer of Mission House of Divine Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, Prophet Ajiboye Abayomi Olayinka, to life imprisonment for raping three underage members of his congregation inside the church premises.

The convict bagged three life imprisonment penalties for three different offences bordering on illegal sexual intercourse with 13-year-old minors.

The offences, according to the court, were committed inside the church’s mission house located in the Agah area of Ganmo, where he served as spiritual leader.

Prophet Olayinka was also slammed with a 14 years imprisonment for illegally aborting several pregnancies of his victims and threatened them not to disclose the illicit act to anyone.

According to the trial judge, Justice Hammed Aliyu Gegele, the convict used his position as a clergyman to turn his victims into sex machines, abusing them physically and mentally.

The court narrated how one of the victims recounted her ordeal with the prophet.

“He took her to the generator house to forcefully have sex with her using anointing oil as lubricant and also woke her up after vigils for rounds of sex”, Gegele recounted.

The defendant was arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, illegal abortion, and unlawful possession of firearms.

The charges were brought under Sections 97, 235, and 283 of the Penal Code, Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, 2004, as well as Section 31(2) of the Kwara State Child Rights Law, 2006.

During the hearing, the prosecution called twelve (12) witnesses and tendered exhibits.

In their testimonies, the victims alleged that the convict administered anointing oil on their private parts in a ritual-like manner before subjecting them to forceful sexual abuse inside the mission house.

They further told the court that he allegedly compelled them to swear to secrecy with a Bible, warning that they would face death if they ever disclosed what happened.

On 11 February 2026, the prosecution team, led by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari, vigorously cross-examined the defendant and his witnesses in his defence before the court.

At the conclusion of the defence, written addresses were filed, adopted, and the matter was subsequently adjourned for judgment.

Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, Justice Gegele held that the prosecution had successfully proved the offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, rape, and illegal abortion against the convict, but failed to establish the charge of bigamy.

The court therefore discharged the defendant on the count of bigamy.

In his pronouncement, Justice Gegele described the defendant as “a pedophile and philanderer whose conduct should be deprecated by all and sundry in society.”

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of a pump-action gun recovered from the defendant to the Federal Government of Nigeria.