Biodun Fatoyinbo, COZA Cancel Church Special Programme Over Rape Scandal As Protesters Storm Church

Photo credit: Jerrywright Ukwu

Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo has cancelled his special annual forthcoming programme over rape allegations he is currently faced with.

This is even as concerned Nigerians who besieged the headquarters of COZA Church in Guzape Abuja on Sunday to protest against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, founder of the Common Wealth of Zion Assembly, over rape allegations by Busola Dakolo have been prevented by the church members from gaining access into the church auditorium.

Fatoyinbo announced the cancellation of the programme tagged ‘Seven Days of Glory’ in the Sunday Service of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly today.

The programme was scheduled to hold from July 1 -7, 2019, in Abuja, Lagos, Ilorin, Port Harcourt and Dubai.

Fatoyinbo has been in the midst of discussion since couple of days ago when Busola Dakolo alleged that the COZA founder and pastor raped her multiple times when he started his ministry in Ilorin.

Announcing the termination of the programme, Fatoyinbo said, “Be that as it may with what is going on, I am not a desperate person to say we must have the program.

“I am a peaceful person, you know that. Because of this, we are going to have program everyday for those who are interested to come but we are not going to have the Seven Days of Glory because I don’t want all this kind of stuff.

“Please let’s be people of peace. You don’t even want to put your guest speakers into all that. We don’t want to cause people problem, we don’t want to do that.”

Fatoyinbo told his congregation that the Lord spoke to him to cancel the programme while also adding that his mentors advised him to cancel the program for them to intervene.

“Apart from the fact that the lord spoke to me about that, my mentors said to me, this is what we need you to do while we step in and see what is going on,” he said.

He urged his church members to ignore the allegations making round and not engage in any argument or fight with anybody.

Fatoyinbo said: “Please don’t fight anybody, don’t reply anybody. They may say things to you, it doesn’t matter, you have a personal experience of church. Don’t fight anybody.”

The protesters, clad in white tee-shirts were stopped by angry church members who formed a human shield to prevent the protesters from advancing toward the church building.

The protesters, therefore, decided to sit on the floor at the junction after a heated argument, vowing not to be intimidated.

Also, pro-Fatoyinbo protesters were seen chanting solidarity songs in his support.

The placard-carrying protesters, who are mainly street urchins, made several attempts to dislodge the rival protesters with intimidation and harassment.

One of the protesters, as Sani Abubakar, said that he is a Muslim and he loved how the pastor help people in the Guzape neighbourhood where his church is located. He described the attack on the clergy as unwarranted.

The protesters were seen smoking cigarettes.
-Sahara Reporters