The Nigerian police have granted bail to the senior pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo, accused of rape by celebrity photographer, Busola Dakolo.
The force public relations officer, Frank Mba told TheCable on Tuesday night that Fatoyinbo was served bail hours after quizzing him over the rape allegation.
Mba confirmed that the pastor is, however, still in police custody pending when he meets his bail conditions.
“He has been served bail but he is still with us. He will remain with us until he meets his bail conditions,” Mba told TheCable over the phone. He declined to give the bail conditions.
In a June, Busola Dakolo had accused Fatoyibo of raping her when she was a teenager.
The pastor denied the allegation and subsequently refused to appear before the panel set up by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to investigate the claim.
In a statement by Ademola Adetuberu, his spokesman, Fatoyinbo said his legal team advised against appearing before the panel because the sitting might be partial.
“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,” the statement read.
There were protests at the church’s branches in Lagos and Abuja after the allegations were made.
The protest forced Fatoyinbo to step aside from the altar but he has returned earlier this month.
