The Redeemed Christian Church of God says it is awaiting the outcome of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against one of its pastors in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The church’s Publicity Secretary, Lanre Oyegbola confirmed on Saturday that the church was aware of the allegations.
The accused pastor, reportedly a youth pastor at RCCG Strongtower Parish near Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, came under scrutiny after a woman, said to be a student of the institution, publicly accused him during a church service of attempted rape and sexual coercion.
In a viral video, the woman alleged that the pastor invited her to his residence under the pretext of collecting food she bought for him before attempting to force himself on her despite her repeated refusals.
She further alleged that after failing to have sexual intercourse with her, the pastor requested oral sex and claimed to have had similar encounters with other female church members.
The pastor, in response during the confrontation, said, “She has spoken right, and the story is sweet, let me ask her…,” before the video ended.
Following the incident, other women reportedly came forward with similar allegations involving unwanted sexual advances, coercion and abuse of pastoral authority.
Reacting to the allegations, Oyegbola said the church was awaiting the outcome of an investigation by the 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.
Asked whether the pastor had been suspended pending the investigation, Oyegbola said, “An allegation is being investigated, so the church is awaiting the outcome of the investigation by the school.”
Efforts to reach the RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to him were not answered as of the time this report was filed.
Attempts to obtain a response from the accused pastor also failed, as messages sent to his Facebook account were not answered, while his Instagram account was inaccessible because it was private.
The incident has generated debate on social media, with some users praising the woman for speaking out and others calling for a thorough investigation.
When contacted, LAUTECH spokesperson Lekan Fadeyi said he was unaware of the incident but promised to verify whether the matter had been reported to the school authorities.
“I’m just hearing this for the first time, but let me find out if any such case has been reported to the school authorities,” he said.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Oyo State, Olayinka Ayanlade, also said he was not aware of the case, noting that such matters are typically handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Meanwhile, a senior Christian leader, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, said Christians must uphold moral standards and protect vulnerable persons.
He said the allegations should be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable should face appropriate sanctions.
“There are things that must not be mentioned among us,” Adegbite said, while also noting that allegations against religious leaders should be carefully investigated to ensure fairness and justice.
