News
South Africa Shocked By Live Rape Trial Of Televangelist
A televised rape trial in South Africa has prompted a furious public backlash after a witness was subjected to a lengthy and, at times, aggressively intimate cross-examination by the lawyer representing a 60-year-old Nigerian televangelist.
Mr Timothy Omotoso has denied raping the woman from when she was only 14 years old.
Over the weekend, Mr Omotoso’s church, in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, was forced to shut its door after angry crowds besieged the building, while a Sunday newspaper reported that the woman who gave evidence against him, now a 22-year-old student, had received death threats ahead of the trial.
Former boyfriend
The trial – the first prominent rape case to be broadcast live in a country where more than 100 rapes are reported to the police each day – has attracted huge interest, and raised difficult questions about victims’ rights, impartiality and whether justice is best served by having television cameras in courtrooms.
Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Ndileka Mandela, who said in 2017 that she had been raped by a former boyfriend – is one of many South African women who have voiced support for Mr Omotoso’s accuser, linking her experience to the global #MeToo movement.
Ms Mandela argued that the student’s treatment during three days in the witness box helped explain why so many rape victims stay silent in a nation with notoriously high levels of sexual violence.
Evangelical ministries
“I really feel pain for this young woman and I am so proud to see how courageous she’s been on the witness stand,” Ms Mandela told South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper.
Mr Omotoso and two female co-accused, from the Jesus Dominion International church, based in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, are facing 97 charges, ranging from sexual assault to rape and human trafficking. They deny all the charges.
The church – one of a growing number of evangelical ministries in the country, promising miracles and prophecies for its followers – is known for its videos of uniformed young women singers, some of whom have appeared on the Idols SA television contest.
Since it began last week, the nation seems to have stopped in its tracks to follow the trial, and social media erupted in support and sympathy for Mr Omotoso’s accuser.
She was the first prosecution witness and told the court, with great composure, that Mr Omotoso – quoting the psalms and threatening God’s anger if she did not comply – had allegedly repeatedly raped her a year after she had joined his church as a child.
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News
Court adjourns case against Anthony Joshua’s driver to 25th February
The trial of 46-year-old, Adeniyi Kayode, driver of the Lexus SUV involved in the road accident involving heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Josh and claimed the lives of his two friends has been adjourned to February 25th 2026.
Recall that Kayode was charged to Sagamu Magistrate Court, on the 2nd of January with Magistrate Olufunilayo Somefun presiding.
He was charged on a four count charge which includes dangerous driving Causing Death, contrary to Section 5(1) of the Federal Highway Act, Cap F: 135, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as applicable in Ogun State).
“Reckless and Negligent Driving, contrary to Section 6(1) of the same Act. Driving Without Due Care and Attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property, contrary to Section 7(1) of the Act and driving without a valid national driver’s license, contrary to Section 10(1) of the Federal Highway Act.
The case was adjourned after the prosecuting counsel, Richard Nigiwe, informed the court that they had four witnesses, but only three were in attendance.
Richard called for the adjournment of the case to allow the prosecution counsel to duplicate the case tile to the office of the Attorney General of the state through the office of the department of public prosecution for advise and in the interest of justice.
The request was initially rejected by the counsel to the defendant, Abiodun Olalekan, who expressed the readiness to forge ahead with the case.
However, giving her ruling on the request for adjournment, the court granted the application and adjourned the case to the 25th of February for further hearing.
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News
Lagos Assembly ignores protest, backs ongoing controversial demolition
The Lagos State House of Assembly has backed the state’s executive in the ongoing demolition of structures and shanties erected along shorelines and under high-tension cables across the state.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Mr Stephen Ogundipe, said this in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
The state government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, has embarked on the demolition of illegal structures, especially in the Oworonsoki and Makoko areas in the state.
Makoko residents had on Thursday protested at the Assembly complex over the demolition of their structures, urging Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop further demolition.
Ogundipe, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency-01, said the exercise was a necessary step to safeguard the lives and property of residents in the state.
He said: “It is quite worrisome that we have ramshackle structures, sheds and shanties, especially along shorelines.
“The shorelines have turned to abodes of miscreants/street urchins, kidnappers, touts, street traders and hawkers, who often vandalise public utilities and attack innocent citizens.
“Although, the demolition exercise may be painful for those affected, it is a necessary step to protect the larger society and uphold the rule of law.
“The government’s action reflects a commitment to preventing avoidable disasters and ensuring sustainable urban development.”
The spokesman said the leadership of the Assembly viewed the exercise as responsible and forward-looking.
Ogundipe called on residents to remain calm and cooperate with government officials, assuring them that their concerns would not be ignored.
He also urged citizens to always comply with building regulations and planning approvals, to prevent future occurrences, stressing that collective responsibility is key to avoiding disasters.
Ogundipe, however, assured of the assembly’s commitment to balancing enforcement with empathy, ensuring that while laws are upheld, affected citizens are not left without support during the transition.
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Headline
Timi Frank Knocks GCON For Chagoury, Warns Of ‘state-sanctioned Impunity’
Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman, Gilbert Chagoury as a dark moment for Nigeria.
In a statement on Tuesday, Frank told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the decision sends a dangerous signal that corruption and conflicts of interest are being normalized at the highest levels of power.
This comes as Nigerian billionaire businessman Femi Otedola posted a congratulatory message to Chagoury.
Reacting, Frank said the honour— Nigeria’s second-highest national award—undermines public trust and the country’s anti-corruption posture, given widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases arising from funds looted during the late General Sani Abacha junta.
“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 in connection with laundering Abacha loot, after which he allegedly paid a fine of one million Swiss francs and returned about $66 million to the Nigerian government.
“To bestow one of our highest national honors on a person publicly tainted by allegations and judicial findings of corruption sends a deeply troubling message about our national values,” he added.
“Nigeria should not become a theater where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national and allied economic interests,” he warned, adding that the controversy has international governance implications.
He questioned the criteria used to confer the GCON on Chagoury, asking Nigerians to demand clarity on his contributions to national development.
“What hospitals, schools, or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honor?” Frank asked.
“Beyond his name being linked for years to alleged corruption cases without clear conclusions, Nigerians deserve to know what qualifies him for this award and who among our business leaders has been similarly honored,” he stated.
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