COZA: Police Invite Timi Dakolo, for Questioning on Criminal Conspiracy

Tobi Soniyi

There appears to be a new twist to the rape allegation against the senior pastor at the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo, by celebrity photographer, Busola Dakolo. The Nigeria Police have formally invited Busola’s husband, Timi Dakolo, for questioning on what the police called criminal conspiracy, falsehood, mischief, and threat to life.

The letter to Mr. Dakolo from the police, inviting him for a session, signed by Mr. Kolo Yusuf, a Deputy Commissioner of Police with the Inspector General of Police Tactical Squad, Force Headquarters, Abuja, was dated July 18, 2019. In the letter, the police directed Mr. Dakolo to report for interrogation on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 10 o’clock for “fact findings”.

Last month, Mrs. Dakolo made some serious criminal allegations about Fatoyinbo, where she accused him of raping her as a minor. But the pastor has since denied all the allegations, saying he has never raped in his life. He stepped down under pressure from his position as senior pastor amid public protests by women groups.

Busola, a mother of three, had in an interview with Y-TV, narrated how Fatoyinbo allegedly raped her, first in the morning at her home on a day virtually everyone was away, and afterwards, made her take a soft drink, Krest, as a sort of neutraliser of whatever effect the intercourse could have on her.
She further accused the pastor of subsequently taking advantage of her innocence and naivety by having more canal knowledge of her at other times, including at a lonely road after a church service in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Her husband, Timi, had also accused Fatoyinbo of allegedly taking undue advantage of women at COZA, and leaving them emotionally broken. He had begun a campaign against such acts long before his wife granted the now controversial interview.

However, the allegation has remained polarising. While some people are willing to give the pastor the benefit of the doubt, others believe the pastor is guilty as charged.

Many pastors, including the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, have also intervened in the matter, ultimately seeking restoration, healing, and justice for both parties.

It was this raging controversy that prompted a citizen journalist, Ms. Kemi Olunloyo, daughter of a former governor of Oyo State, to begin an investigation into the allegation. She submitted the outcome of her inquest to the police, but concluded there was no rape.

Apart from arguing that the Dakolos came up with the rape story as a fame-up, Olunloyo said one thing that seemed to explode the Busola story was the fact that it had no timeline. She said the lack of timeline made the whole allegation untidy under both legal and logical scrutiny.

Meanwhile, ahead of Mr. Dakolo’s Tuesday visit to the police, the singer alleged that some policemen had been stationed in front of his house for reasons unknown to him, saying their sight is scary. He shared the development via his Instagram page, thus, “Strange men at the house with guns.”

Sources claimed the policemen were about three. Although there is no official information yet on the situation at Dakolo’s residence, sources say the police presence may not be unconnected with his planned questioning.