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Bishop Elijah Orhonigbe, senior pastor and founder of Victory Revival Fasting and Prayer Ministry, Warri, Delta State, was enmeshed in an alleged rape saga on May 20, 2020, by one Miracle Omalor shortly after conducting a deliverance on her openly. The allegation, which went viral on both print and social media platforms, led to a legal battle leading to his being discharged and acquitted on November 22, 2022, when the Delta State Police Command could not substantiate its allegations. EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, in this interview engaged Orhonigbe over his ordeals. Excerpts:
Can you let us into your ordeal or what the Bible calls ‘trial of faith?’
I was arrested and taken to the police station on the allegation of being a rapist on May 20, 2020. I was taken to prison, denied bail at the Magistrate Court, the matter was then taken to the High Court where I was granted bail. The news went viral, but today, I’m happy that I have been discharged and acquitted in the three-count charge of rape, drug prescription and impersonation.
I want to thank my members who stood by me and believed that I cannot be involved in such act. I want to also thank my lawyer, Chief E. L.Umuze, Barrister Olukoya Ayodele and others who stood by me during those trying times.
Did you have a premonition that a set up or temptation of that magnitude was ahead of you as a cleric?
I didn’t have any premonition, but I knew it would come. Temptation must always come that I know as a man of God.
Can you relate to us what actually transpired before, during and after your arrest?
On May 2020, after the church midweek service, a member of my church requested to see me, and I granted her audience. Her complaint was that she had been dreaming about one of her daughters called Miracle Omalor, who had died.
I requested to see her, when she was finally brought at about 9:00 a.m, I prayed for her in the church auditorium in the presence of three of my church members who took part in the prayer session after, which she left for home at about 11:30 a.m or thereabout.
At about 5:00 p.m that same day, I was still in the church premises when I saw a large crowd at the church entrance shouting, “see the rapist” at the same time they were banging the church gate.
Eventually, it became a police case. I was detained. At the police station, I was alleged to have drugged the lady before raping her with blood stains all over her body. My phone was seized, some of my ushers and pastors were arrested, they made statements and were detained for hours.
On the third day in detention, the police brought another allegation of impersonation. My phone that was in police custody was loaded with photoshopped pictures of me dressed in lawyer’s wig, academic graduation gown receiving and having a handshake with the vice president Yemi Osinbajo and so on. The police also went ahead to ransack my office without taking me along and in the end, they came up with arranged evidence to prove that I was parading myself as a lawyer. Eventually I was charged to court. But before I was charged to court, a lawyer was recommended to my members as the only one who could talk to the police. I paid him some money.
At the Magistrate Court, I was remanded. The lawyer that was recommended to me did all he could to ensure that I settled the case out of court by paying off the alleged victim, but I refused, until information came to me through the lawyers. I personally briefed that the lawyer recommended to me was the lawyer who started the case for the alleged victim. At that point, I told him I did not want to see him again. I was eventually granted bail. While on bail, I took my car to a carwash, and I was surprised to see printed copies of those pictures police planted in my phone inside the car; they were packed inside a brown envelope and kept under the back foot carpet. I was compelled to sack my driver as we were just two who had access to the car. That was when I realised that he was part of the conspiracy.
How did you eventually gain freedom?
The matter went to the High Court in suit No. W/28c/2020 for trial. The police, standing in for the state, told the court that they did not have money to carry out tests to show if drug was in the victim’s blood or urine and to investigate the case of impersonation. It was clear that the victim, who initially claimed not to have known any man, had her first child at the age of 17 and was also pregnant for another man when the case was on. Her mother also admitted in court to have given birth to three daughters for three different men. So, after several months of trial, the court gave judgement and set me free, to the glory of God!
Sir, are you married?
Yes, I have one wife.
Why would somebody want to prefer a rape case against you?
You know, not everybody is happy with the work we are doing, even when Christ came to this world, not everybody was happy with Him. There are some Christians and unbelievers that are not happy with the work of God.
We learnt that sometimes, there IS a kind of acrimony and cold rivalry among churches particularly in this area, where you see one church being envious of another. Do you have such experience?
Yes, and that is one of the reasons why that allegation came up.
What was going on in your mind when you were arrested?
I knew it was the work of the enemy. Although, this is the first-time will be alleged of such crime, people tend to spread rumour about me of things like this, but this is actually the first time I was being arrested by the force. So, I know it is the handiwork of the same people that are fighting left and right. But I believe that that same God who has seen me through before will see me through of this one.
Are you saying that you’ve been alleged of rape before?
Not rape, but the rumour of being a womaniser and the rest.
It appears that clerics that are into deliverance ministry often go through things like this?
The same people we conduct deliverance for can still go back to darkness and fight us.
When did you start your ministry?
I started this ministry 24 years ago. I was ordained as a bishop by Bishop Eniku of Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church in Ibadan, Oyo State. I was trained for three years. I was worshipping in my former church before I went to him, and he trained me for three years.
How did your family and the church received your trials?
They were making efforts for my freedom. I knew the enemies aim was to scatter the church but thank God the church stood firm because they know me. During that trials the church stood, and members remained firm.
What if you were convicted unjustly and eventually prisoned. How would you have feel?
If that was the will of God, I would have accepted it, but I knew I would not be convicted with the kind of prayers I was getting from different churches and the kind of lawyers that stood by me.
If you found out those people who plotted this against you, will you forgive them?
I’m waiting for a copy of the judgement to know the next line of action. That will also determine if I’ll forgive them.
What do you think is the problem with the body of Christ in Nigeria?
Envy and jealousy have become the order of the day. Maybe you are given a gift to preach, and I’m given a gift of healing and deliverance, you started 30 years ago and did not grow, but as for me, I who started 10 years ago, I am gradually growing, but you tend to be envious of me.
How do we resolve that?
I don’t know how we can resolve that except with prayers. It started from the time of Jesus. It is only in Nigeria we have Christians and pastors fighting each other. It doesn’t happen outside this country.
What will you say about Nigeria?
Nigeria needs deliverance, especially with what is going on in the country at present.
As God told you anything about the coming elections?
God is not telling me anything about the coming general election because I’m not a politician. I’m praying that God should give power to those He wants in next government.
How was the girl able to come up with such a rape allegation against you? Were you alone with her?
There were other ministers with me in the deliverance session for the girl. My usher, driver, barber, and about eight people, even the mother was in the church.
What is your message to Deltans?
My message to Deltans is that when a matter of this nature happens, they should not take side, but hear from both sides before they conclude because in my case, so many people took sides, but I thank God I was acquitted.
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