The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has summoned founder of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Biodun Fatoyinbo to appear before it within 14 days, warning that “judgement may be given” should the embattled Fatoyinbo not honor the court summons.
In the court document dated September 6, a copy of which was obtained by Huhuonline.com, the petitioner, Busola Dakolo; wife of singer, Timi Dakolo, is suing Pastor Fatoyinbo for intentionally inflicting and causing her continuous emotional distress.
“Having sexual intercourse with the claimant on the 23rd and 26th of September 2002, jointly and\or severally are outrageous and reckless and have caused the claimant continuous emotional distress and amount to intentional infliction of emotional distress on her,” the court statement stated.
Busola, in June, alleged that Fatoyinbo raped her twice in a week when she was still a teenager. She explained that Fatoyinbo, nicknamed ‘Gucci Pastor,’ raped her for the first time at her parent’s home and at another time in a secluded road path.
The allegations prompted hundreds of protesters to march on COZA premises in Lagos and Abuja, demanding the resignation and prosecution of the pastor. Fatoyinbo, however, denied the allegations and threatened to sue Mrs. Dakolo.
The pastor later took a leave of absence from the church days after the allegations and protests. While many have hailed Busola’s courage to speak out, some have also criticised her accounts of the alleged rape incidents.
“Our culture doesn’t allow speaking of these sorts of things against anointed men of God,” Busola said. “They’d rather hide it, and the party that is being victimised tends to live with that self-blame. The damage on the survivor is extremely terrible. The society, the church, keeps sweeping things under the carpet.”
Fatoyinbo returned to the pulpit on Sunday, August 4, about a month after he stepped down. The sermon on his return was from the books of 1st Timothy 6:12; Mark 4:35-37 and 1st Corinthians 10:13 in the Bible. Fatoyinbo said Christians would always face persecution, but God would ensure that they are victorious.
