Following rape allegation leveled against Commonwealth of
Zion Assembly (COZA) founder, Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, on social media by
popular musician, Timi Dakolo's wife, Busola Dakolo, last Friday, many Nigerians
protested at the church headquarters in Abuja and it's worship centre in Lagos
to call for the resignation of the clergyman as the senior pastor of the church,
pending when the case would be taken before and determined by a competent
court.
According to reports, as early as 7a.m. on Sunday, protesters
had already arrived at the church premises in both locations carrying several
placards with different inscriptions to send in their messages and demands to
the public.
It was gathered that
before their arrival, heavy security presence of the operatives Department of
State Security Services (DSS) and Nigerian Police Force had been stationed at
the front of the church premises as the church protocol officers in a chained
hands formed a barricade around the Abuja church, as a way of stopping the
protesters from gaining entrance into the church premises.
In Lagos, there were
lesser presence of security operatives as protesters took turns to scream for
the removal of Fatoyinbo through public address system.
It was likewise gathered that altercations ensued between
the protesters and security operatives, as a result of uncivil behaviour of
some of the operatives of the Nigerian police force who were accused of
manhandling the protesters.
Also, the protesters at the Abuja church were seen to have
wailed in a very disappointing way as the senior pastor of the church, Fatoyinbo,
who arrived at the church under heavy security, some minutes before 9a.m., was
given a jamboree ovation by the whole congregation who filled the church as
every other Sunday service, while he mounted the podium to take the sermon for
the day, with little or no recourse to what was going on outside the church.
However, Fatoyinbo has cancelled the yearly programme, ‘Seven
Days of Glory’ scheduled to start by
July 1, 2019, citing advice from his mentors and leaders as reasons behind the cancellation.
Some of the inscriptions written on the placards of the
protesters say: ‘Rape is not a gift from God’, ‘Pastor step down’. ‘No to rape’,
"The alter of God needs sanctification’, ‘I stand with Busola Dakola’, I
stand with billions of victims all over the world’, ‘I stand with women who
haven't even found their voices, it is never too late to tell your story, rape
is rape’, ‘Pastor not Good’, among others.
The social media was likewise not speared, as the protest
sparked up several debates and counter opinions on Twitter and Instagram. One
of the respondents with the username,@ayosoginro, said: "For all those who
think the energy of #COZA should be directed to politics. This is politics. The
oppression of women is a part of the systems of oppression that ultimately end
in the oppression of the whole country. There will be no political change
without social change. Too many educated derelicts among us who just went to
school but don’t think. And there’s a growing number who didn’t but because
they make money they assume they are knowledgeable."
While another user, @donsidink
said: "Seriously, I'm disappointed in most people on this case i get to
learn brain is scarce and understand the main reason why the politicians kept
deceiving us every time because we have lot of fools than the bravery ones in
this country. So he's guilty by your standards but not innocent by his
members'.
Busola has her side of the story and the pastor said his.
You have chosen to believe Busola's story which is your right but COZA members
can’t believe their pastor because it negates your truth. Think again.
It was likewise gathered from few of the protesters that
also moonlight as members of the church that, before the end of service, the
church employed the services of few Louts to counter protest. They were
reported to have shown solidarity to the embattled pastor before the aggrieved
members of the public initially protesting, but no confrontation was reported
to have broken out between the two groups.
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