Why South African Police re-arrest Nigerian pastor wey dem clear of rape
South Africa Police Service (SAPS) don confam di re-arrest one Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso.
Di National Commissioner SAPS, General Fannie Masemola wey confam di arrest on Saturday, 10 May tok say na di Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate plus di SAPS' National Intervention Unit (NIU) and Tactical Response Team (TRT) arrest di pastor on charges wey relate to Immigration Act.
Immigration authorities and police arrest Omotoso for di town of East London on Saturday morning, "just after church", General Fannie Masemola tell tori pipo.
"E go face charges related to violations of di Immigration Act, and e go appear for court on Monday," e tok.
Na for April, one court for South Africa declare di Nigeria televangelist innocent afta e spend eight years for prison on top accuse say e rape and sexually assault young women for im church.
Di judge bin free Oga Omotoso of all di 32 charges of rape, trafficking and sexual assault against am.
Pipo bin para across South Africa afta di judge rule say even though di pastor explanations no follow, state prosecutors mishandle di case against am.
Pastor Omotoso tell tori pipo say in dey happy wit di verdict.
Di court also declare di oda co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, not guilty.
Mr Omotoso was dramatically arrested at an airport in 2017 as he sought to leave the country.
Authorities bin arrest di 66-year-old senior pastor of di Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church wey base for South Africa for 2017 on 32 charges, wey include rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Oga Omotoso bein deny di 32 charges for one trial court broadcast live and wey gain huge interest across di kontri.
Several young women, some of dem wey still dey for school at di time, bin testify say Omotoso bin handpick dem, e go later pray for forgiveness afta e meet wit each of dem.
For April, Eastern Cape High Court judge Irma Schoeman bin criticise di prosecution wey handle di case, e say di state no prove beyond dia case against Omotoso and di two assistants, wey also dey face di same charges.
Im trial na di first prominent rape case dem go broadcast live for kontri wia sexual violence dey rampant.
Di hearings bin attract huge interest, and raise difficult questions about victims' rights, impartiality and weda na di best thing for justice to dey broadcast live on television
South Africa get one of di highest rates of rape and gender-based violence for di world.
Dem report ova 42,500 rapes for 2023-24 financial year, according to police statistics, wey amount to more dan 116 rapes per day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Medical student who was paralysed when man fell 120 feet onto her from shopping centre third floor says: 'I wouldn't change a thing'
Grace Spence Green was just 22 years old when a man plummeted from 120 feet and landed directly on top of her, crushing her spine and leaving her paralysed. The medical student had been walking through Westfield shopping centre in east London when the intoxicated man leapt from the third-floor balcony and violently collided into her. Her next memory was waking up on the floor screaming, frantically telling those around her that she had no feeling in her legs. Ms Green, who was later taken to surgery, had been left with a broken spine, paralysing her from the chest down. Meanwhile, the man who had fallen on top of her, Amsumana Sillah Trawally, had suffered a mere leg fracture. Following the incident in October 2018, he has since been deported. The 25-year-old was jailed in 2019 for four years after admitting causing grievous bodily harm. It was concluded that he had likely been under the influence of cannabis at the time he vaulted the third floor barrier at Westfield Stratford. Recalling the day of the terrifying crash in a previous Radio 4 interview with Jane Garvey, Ms Green said: 'It was the most surreal, bizarre experience. I can't describe waking up when you thought you were already awake. 'Because it was Westfield and state-of-the-art, all I could see was this brilliant white light. It felt like I was in a dream or in heaven or something. 'Apparently I was out for about eight minutes. 'My first thought was this brilliant white ceiling, then my second thought was, "oh my god I can't feel my legs." 'It really did feel like that movie scene you see. Then, as you say, I realised I was the one screaming. I remember screaming to the police officers nearby me screaming, "I can't feel my legs." 'I was desperately trying to tell them something was wrong. It was the absence of feeling that was the shocking thing. It was like my legs just ceased to exist. I always describe it as like when you unplug a cord. It felt like I'd been unplugged from half of my body.' Ms Green was immediately rushed to King's College Hospital where she underwent eight hours of spinal surgery. Titanium was then bolted into her spine in a bid to keep her shattered vertebrae in place. After an initial two weeks in hospital, the then trainee doctor was later admitted to the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital in Stanmore, Middlesex. There, she endured endless nights of desperately trying to wiggle a toe, learning the skills required to navigate life in a wheelchair and eventually coming to terms with her new reality. Now, nearly seven years on, in her new book To Exist As I Am, the now 29-year-old has relived the horrendous experience, alongside her road towards a mental and physical recovery. But, despite the trauma of her life-changing ordeal, Ms Green insists that she still wouldn't change a thing. Speaking to The Mirror, she said: 'As the years went by, what I gained through my disability, how it's changed me, the relationships that have changed - I can now say I wouldn't change it because of all I've gained from it'. Remarkably, she also doesn't harbour any bitterness towards the man responsible for her injury. Adding that she had taken comfort in the fact that she likely saved Trawally's life, she said: 'That made it much easier to start navigating all of the emotions I felt because what I was going through was really difficult. But I wouldn't have changed it'. Ms Green added that while she had initially experienced a 'sense of denial' towards her injury, her partner of three years, Nathan, was by her side throughout it all. The couple are set to marry in July. Describing her beloved partner as a 'constant' source of strength, she said: 'It always felt like we were dealing with this together. It wasn't just my burden to bear'. 10 months after her injury, Ms Green returned to medical school. Since graduating in 2021, she has now begun her career as a doctor. Not once, even at her lowest point, did she consider giving up her aspiration for a career in medicine. Now, she hopes to use her traumatic injury as an opportunity to inspire and advocate for other disabled individuals who can face a daily barrage of micro-aggressions and inappropriate comments. Believing that disability remains a highly stigmatised topic in society, she feels assured that while challenging, sharing her vulnerable experience offers a unique chance for others to listen and learn.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- BBC News
'Dem rape me eight times in seven hours' - Women share terrible experiences from Benue attack
"Di herders storm di area, dem first capture some of us [women] dem keep us for a separate place bifor dem attack and start to shoot and kill di men wey no dey lucky to survive." Na so one survivor from di community, Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state, wia suspected herdsmen attack, tell BBC Pidgin. as she tori wetin hapun and her experience. Suspected herdsmen bin attack di community between Sunday June 1st and Monday June 2nd. Dem kill pipo, and now, we dey hear tori from di women wey dem also rape. Ova ten women for dat community tori say dem rape dem, some of dem still dey hospital. Women narrate di emotional and sexual trauma wey dem face for di hands of di attackers. One of di victims tell BBC Pidgin say na eight times dem rape her in di space of seven hours. She say afta dem begin attack some of di men, dem begin gang rape women for di community. "Dem rape me rape eight times before day break, odas 10 times. Di herders reach like 50 in number." She tok. Di youth leader Odogbo Ngbede also tell BBC Pidgin say, "we no know wia our wives dey again", dis na as some of di women still dey miss. Anoda victim say she bin sit down wit her sick elderly father bifor dem come, "dem kill my papa, come carry me go one place to rape me", she tok wit sadness. Di women tell BBC Pidgin say dem dey in pain as dem no fit waka well for days now. Di victims of di rape dey between 35 and 60 years old. ' I lose more dan six of my family members' Madam Sarah (no be her real name) wey run comot from village go di local goment headquarters tell BBC Pidgin say, di suspected herdsmen don pursue her from village like odas too wey dey relocate. She narrate say dem kill her papa wey be elderly man and some of her cousins and until now, dem neva see dia deadibody. She add say like say dem dey alive, dem for don come out from wia dem run go hide for safety. "Dem kill almost all my family members, I no go go back unless goment do sometin to help us. If peace no comeback to my village, I no dey go back. Hunger dey kill us, we no fit go farm again, na outside I dey sleep all dis while, bifor i run comot from di village dem don kill 29 pipo. She say na by di grace of God she survive 'Dem bin tell us say di pipo dey come do peace tok-tok wit us' - Community leader Afta retirement as Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Eyigege Ikwutole say make im come rest for village. But as di current community leader, di peace wey im find come village don turn to serious attacks and sad stories. Im tok say im no fit imagine say pipo wey dem no get any problem wit go just come enta dia community just to attack, kill pipo and tiff dia tins. "Dem bin tell us say di pipo [suspected herdsmen] dey come do peace tok-tok wit us. So we like peace na why we accept dem, around 3:30 pm, dem enta our community we welcome dem, dem stay wit us and we dey share evritin wit dem, di tins wey we get for house we share wit dem too until around 4:00pm dat same day. Some pipo wey dey go toilet come see pipo wey wear all black clothes wey carry guns [AK 47 and AK 49] so dem run back to di village to alert evribody, but bifor pipo go even park dia tins to run comot, di herdsmen don already takeova dos places too." Di community leader say dem still dey retrieve deadi bodi. "Dem just dey kill pipo evriwia, up till now. we still dey find some pipo inside bush becos we neva see dem wit us since dat day. We assume say either dem kill dem or dem capture dem, carry dem go." Di retired immigration officer say dem no go fit secure dia sef sake of say law for Nigeria no dey allow individuals to carry or buy gun just like dat. Im add say na why dem dey beg goment to help dem becos dem no fit do dia farming again and dem dey helpless. "Anytin we plant dem go uproot am, even our well sef dem dey use force dey fetch di water. But our elders bin don warn us make we no react negatively and na wetin we dey do since." Im add say na only men wey fit fight dey for di village now, di women and children run go di local goment headquarters to take cover and im no know how di pipo for village dey take survive. As death toll bin dey increase, police bin deploy tactical teams to flash points as army chief bin also visit communities for di state. 'We dey under seige' - Govnor Alia Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Hycinth Alia tok for Channels TV interview say im no dey see di attacks as clash between farmers and herders, again. Im say specialised killers dey involved and terrorists wey dey engage like say na guerrilla war dem dey fight. "Di way dis attacks come and di intel we receive, na direct and calibrated plan and dem go execute am. Evriday, we dey receive dis intel dem. Of late, each of di intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of am dey quite accurate. "And den wen you realise wetin dey go on, e dey beyond just conflict, e dey beyond just ethnic fight between herders and farmers for our state, e dey directed, e dey planned and den, dem go execute am, na terrorism." "For some reason, dem no dey eva catch any of dem. Dem dey come for middle of di night, hit and run and nobody dey see any trace. So, na terrorism wey dey eat us up," im tok. Suspected herdsmen attack both residents of Tse-Antswam for Naka town, wey be headquarters of Gwer West LGA and Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state between Sunday 1June and Monday 2nd June, 2025. Ova 50 pipo die for di attack and some pipo still dey miss.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
More than a dozen ICE officers are trapped in sweltering shipping container with the migrants they deported
More than a dozen ICE officers alongside a group of eight migrants that had been placed on a deportation flight originally bound for South Sudan are now being held in a converted shipping container on a US naval base in Djibouti in the stifling heat, in horrendous conditions. The men and their guards are dealing with baking hot temperatures, smoke from nearby burn pits and the looming threat of rocket attacks, the Trump administration said. Neither the officers or migrants can leave container until the matter has been resolved by the courts, which could take weeks. Officials outlined grim conditions in court documents filed before a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit challenging Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts to swiftly remove migrants to countries they didn't come from. Authorities landed the flight at the base in Djibouti, about 1,000 miles from South Sudan, more than two weeks ago after US District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston found the Trump administration had violated his order by swiftly sending eight migrants from countries including Cuba and Vietnam to the east African nation. The judge said that men, which include murderers and sexual abusers from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Mexico and South Sudan must have a real chance to raise fears about dangers they could face in South Sudan. All eight were accused of being convicted criminals by the Trump administration and deported in late May after their respective origin countries all rejected them being returned. The men's lawyers have still not been able to talk to them, said Robyn Barnard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, whose stated mission is to ensure the United States is a global leader on human rights. 'This Massachusetts District judge is putting the lives of our ICE law enforcement in danger by stranding them in Djibouti without proper resources, lack of medical care, and terrorists who hate Americans running rampant,' DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X. 'Our @ICEgov officers were only supposed to transport for removal 8 convicted criminals with final deportation orders who were so monstrous and barbaric that no other country would take them. This is reprehensible and, quite frankly, pathological.' On Friday, Barnard spoke at a hearing of Democratic members of Congress and said some family members of the men had been able to speak with them on Thursday. The migrants have been previously convicted of serious crimes in the US, and President Donald Trump's administration has said that it was unable to return them quickly to their home countries. The Justice Department has also appealed to the Supreme Court to immediately intervene and allow swift deportations to third countries to resume. The case comes amid a sweeping immigration crackdown by the Republican administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally. The legal fight became another flashpoint as the administration rails against judges whose rulings have slowed the president's policies. The Trump administration said the converted conference room in the shipping container is the only viable place to house the men on the base in Djibouti, where outdoor daily temperatures rise above 100F, according to the declaration from an ICE official. Nearby burn pits are used to dispose of trash and human waste, and the smog cloud makes it hard to breathe, sickening both ICE officers guarding the men and the detainees, the documents state. The stench is so bad and the air so polluted that some officers now sleep with face masks on. Officers and detainees became sick within 72 hours of landing in Djibouti. So far, thirteen ICE officials have fallen ill and are suffering from respiratory infections, together with the extreme heat and cramped living conditions. The ICE officials are experiencing 'coughing, difficulty breathing, fever, and achy joints,' the court documents state. They don't have access to all the medication they need to protect against infection, and the ICE officers were unable to complete anti-malarial treatment before landing, an ICE official said. 'It is unknown how long the medical supply will last,' Mellissa B. Harper, acting executive deputy associate director of enforcement and removal operations, said in the declaration. The group also lacks protective gear in case of a rocket attack from terrorist groups in Yemen, a risk outlined by the Department of Defense, the documents state. Along with the deportees, the ICE agents are forced to stay in the makeshift detention center with just six beds between the entire group. The detainees are also facing uncomfortable conditions only being able to shower once every other day while being subjected to 'pat-downs and searches' every time they need to use the restroom, some 40 yards away from the container in where they're being held. 'The conference room in which the aliens are housed is not equipped nor suitable for detention of any length, let alone for the detention of high-risk individuals,' Harper wrote. 'Notably, the room has none of the security apparatus necessary for the detention of criminal aliens. If an altercation were to occur, there is no other location on site available to separate the aliens, which further compromises the officers' safety.'
