The Redeemed Christian Church of God has said it is awaiting the outcome of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct levelled 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 incident involving the pastor attached to the RCCG Strongtower parish near Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
The pastor came under public scrutiny after a video showing a confrontation between him and a female student during a church service surfaced online.
In the viral clip, the lady, said to be a student of LAUTECH, accused the cleric of attempted rape and sexual coercion.
She alleged that the pastor invited her to his residence under the guise of collecting food she bought for him, but later made sexual advances towards her.
According to the student, the cleric allegedly attempted to force himself on her despite repeated refusals and later demanded oral sex after failing to achieve penetration.
The lady further claimed that the pastor boasted of having similar encounters with other female members of the church.
Responding during the confrontation captured in the video, the pastor was heard saying, “She has spoken right, and the story is sweet, let me ask her…,” before the recording ended.
The incident has since generated reactions on social media, with several users demanding a thorough investigation into the allegations.
Some women were also reported to have come forward with similar accusations bordering on sexual advances, coercion and abuse of pastoral authority.
Reacting to the development, Oyegbola said the church would wait for the outcome of investigations 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 investigation, the RCCG spokesman said the church was still awaiting the outcome of the probe.
“An allegation is being investigated, so the church is awaiting the outcome of the investigation by the school,” he added.
Efforts to get the reaction of the accused pastor were unsuccessful as messages sent to him on social media platforms were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Also contacted, the spokesperson for LAUTECH, Lekan Fadeyi, said he was yet to receive details of the incident.
“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 stated.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, also said he was unaware of the matter.
According to him, such cases are usually handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Stephen Adegbite, called for a proper investigation into the allegations.
He stressed that any religious leader found culpable should be sanctioned in line with the law and moral standards expected of Christian leaders.
Adegbite, however, noted that allegations against clerics should always be thoroughly investigated to ensure fairness and justice for all parties involved.
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