Police Grill Fatoyinbo over Rape Allegation

Kingsley Nwezeh

The Police High Command yesterday quizzed the Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, over the rape allegation levelled against him by

Busola Dakolo, wife of popular artiste, Timi Takolo.

Police had two months ago sent Fatoyinbo a letter of invitation following allegation of rape levelled against him by Busola Dakolo, wife of popular artiste, Timi Takolo.

Mrs Dakolo had alleged that the COZA Pastor took advantage of her innocence as a teenager and raped her twice but Fatoyinbo had denied the allegation, insisting that he never raped anybody even as an unbeliever.

The allegation triggered public outrage and protests across the country, prompting calls for the pastor to face the law.

But in a chat with THISDAY, Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, said detectives grilling the COZA pastor at the Loius Edet House Force Headquarters, Abuja, would determine whether he would be granted bail or detained for a longer period.

“He is with us and he is being interrogated. People have tried to find out if he is in detention and I have told them it is too early for me to say if he is being detained.

“At the end of the interrogation, detectives will take a decision specifically, the DIG in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) will exercise his discretion in deciding whether there is the need for him to be detained for further investigation and questioning or whether he should be granted administrative bail while investigation continues”, he said.

On whether they would adhere to the constitutional requirement that a suspect must not be detained for more than 24 hours before being charged to court, he said interrogation was ongoing.

“Even if we want to detain him we can detain him, 24 hours has not elapsed. For me you are just jumping the gun because we have not told you we are detaining him. He is currently undergoing interrogation.

“At the end of the interrogation, investigators will take a decision whether to keep him further or grant him bail. It is only when a decision is taken to detain him that the issue of 24 hours will begin to come in,” he said.

However, as at press time last night, Mba confirmed that the pastor was still with the Police.