The Redeemed Christian Church of God has said it is awaiting the outcome of investigations into allegations of s3xual misconduct involving one of its pastors in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The church’s Publicity Secretary, Lanre Oyegbola, confirmed on Saturday, May 9, that the RCCG was aware of the allegations and monitoring the situation. The accused pastor is reportedly a youth pastor at the RCCG Strongtower parish located near Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso.
The controversy gained widespread attention after a video circulated online showing a woman, said to be a student of LAUTECH, confronting the pastor during a church service over allegations of attempted r@pe and s3xual coercion. In the video, the woman alleged that the pastor invited her to his residence under the guise of collecting food she had purchased for him before allegedly attempting to force himself on her.
She claimed she repeatedly resisted his advances and further alleged that after failing to achieve penetration, he requested oral s3x. The woman also accused the pastor of allegedly boasting about similar encounters involving other female church members.
According to the video, the pastor briefly responded after taking the microphone, saying: “She has spoken right, and the story is sweet, let me ask her…,” before the recording ended. Following the incident, reports emerged that other women had allegedly come forward with claims involving unwanted advances, coercion and abuse of pastoral authority.
Reacting to the allegations, Oyegbola said the church was waiting for the outcome of investigations reportedly being conducted by school authorities before taking further action. “I have been able to confirm that the church is aware of the allegations and is waiting for the outcome of the investigation of the school authority to know the next steps,” he said.
When asked whether the pastor had been suspended, Oyegbola stated that the church was still awaiting the investigation outcome. Attempts to contact the RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, were reportedly unsuccessful, while messages sent to the accused pastor through social media were also not answered.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions online, with some social media users praising the woman for speaking publicly while others called for a thorough investigation into the allegations. LAUTECH spokesperson Lekan Fadeyi said he was not initially aware of the incident but promised to verify whether any official complaint had been submitted to the university.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command said it had not yet received details about the matter. Police spokesperson Olayinka Ayanlade noted that such cases are usually handled by the state Criminal Investigation Department.
Christian leader Bishop Stephen Adegbite, who also serves as chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Lagos State, called for a proper investigation into the allegations. “The allegations should be properly investigated and if established, whoever is found wanting should answer questions on what has really transpired,” he said.
Adegbite added that while false accusations can sometimes occur, all claims involving religious leaders should still be carefully investigated in the interest of fairness and justice.
