Coza's Pastor Fatoyinbo granted bail after his witness shows up from Port Harcourt

COMMONWEALTH of Zion Assembly (Coza) founder Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo has been released on bail by the police in Abuja after he met the condition that he should produce his witnesses in the ongoing rape case against him.

In July, Pastor Fatoyinbo was accused by Busola Dakolo, the wife of musician Timi Dakolo, of raping her in Ilorin years ago. Media attention the case has attracted forced Pastor Fatoyinbo to stand down as Coza's general overseer but he has since resumed preaching and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has launched an investigation into the rape allegations.

Over the weekend, Pastor Fatoyinbo was arrested again as the police stepped up their investigations into the case. Yesterday, however, he was released after his witness arrived from Port Harcourt on Tuesday night, prompting the police authorities at the Force Criminal Investigations Department to grant him bail.

One police source said: “Now that he has come from Port Harcourt to make his statement, his bail process has commenced. His surety has been on ground to take him on bail."

Early this month, Pastor Fatoyinbo returned to the pulpit with a bang, pulling a large crowd as Coza members were seen screaming and jubilating as he climbed the stage for the first time since the crisis broke. His sermon was titled Sudden Victories, delivered to a packed church auditorium in which Pastor Fatoyinbo quoted First Timothy 6:12, Mark 4:35-37 and First Corinthians 10:13.

He said it was written in the bible that Christians would always face persecution but God would ensure that they are victorious. According to the cleric, most times, when faced with troubles, Christians have the tendency to call everyone except God for help.