Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo has revealed that he refused to appear before an investigative panel of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) because of a lack of trust in the process.
Busola Dakolo, a photographer, alleged during a taped interview in June that Fatoyinbo, the founder of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), raped her twice when she was a teenager .
Another former member of his church alleged in July that the pastor raped her during a meeting between the two in 2017.
The PFN, of which COZA is a member, announced on Thursday, August 22, 2019 that the pastor failed to honour invitations extended to him by its “high-powered fact-finding” investigation team.
Among other reasons, Fatoyinbo said he didn’t honour the panel’s investigation because he and his lawyers feared it might be prejudiced against him.
In a statement signed by his senior assistant, Ademola Adetuberu, on Friday, August 23, he said he got legal advice to not make his case before the panel.
He said, “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 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.”
Adetuberu denied that Fatoyinbo ever got written invitations as claimed by PFN but that there’s still a chance he could honour the panel’s invitation at a later date.
“Once the police investigation is over, our Pastor is ready to honour the invitation.
“We have also been legally advised to deploy judicial intervention to clear our Pastor as soon as possible, and the process has commenced in earnest,” he said.
PFN said on Thursday that Busola and her celebrity husband, Timi Dakolo, appeared before the panel.
However, Isong said Fatoyinbo’s failure to appear means the probe has not reached a definite conclusion.
“We may make a further statement on a later date. But certainly, for now, Nigerians and well-meaning people are our witnesses that we have fulfilled scriptural, public and moral expectations as a reasonable and legal organisation,” he said.
Isong also disclosed that Fatoyinbo had reached out to PFN for help when the allegations were first made public and that he expressed disappointment when he wasn’t offered a public show of support.
Fatoyinbo directly dismissed Dakolo’s allegation as false and stepped down from the pulpit until very recently when he returned to the pulpit.
Dakolo filed a petition against Fatoyinbo with the Police in June, but the pastor has also filed complaints of criminal conspiracy and falsehood against her with the authorities.
News source: Pulse News
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