Rape Allegation: Why Biodun Fatoyinbo shunned PFN panel
Church Times can now report why Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Church, Biodun Fatoyinbo shunned the PFN’s probe panel constituted to look at the rape allegation leveled against him by Busola Dakolo
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria said it had discontinued the probe of the rape allegations involving Fatoyinbo on grounds that Fatoyinbo failed to honour the invitation of the probe panel.
But Church Times findings reveal that Fatoyinbo shunned the panel for fear of his personal safety in Lagos where the panel was sitting.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PFN, Bishop Emmah Isong at a well-attended media briefing on Wednesday August 21 disclosed that the probe was inconclusive
The press briefing held at the Radisson Blu hotel GRA Ikeja Lagos
Isong who said his mandate at the briefing was to inform journalists that the rape allegation probe was inconclusive said all efforts to get Fatoyinbo to meet the panel failed.
He said several letters were written to him and invitations were made but Pastor Fatoyinbo did not show up.
Bishop Isong said further that the five-man panel constituted to look into the matter had no option but to discontinue the probe.
He said ‘we could not reach a conclusion on the alleged rape issue because the man at the centre of the scandal failed to show up at our meetings despite all the invitations to Him. ‘
When asked if the PFN had the initial support of Fatoyinbo, he said, ‘ we came into the matter because Pastor Fatoyinbo obliged the panel initially. He agreed that there was need for us to come into the matter. We came into the matter because apart from Fatoyinbo calling for probe the media and many Nigerians asked the PFN to look into the matter. That was the reason we came into it. Unfortunately he did not honour our invitation.”
Though he did not disclose the people who constituted the panel he said the panel met several times but came out with nothing since Fatoyinbo did not show up.
He however seized the opportunity to thank the Dakolos for honouring the invitations of the panel regretting however that the panel could not reach a conclusion on the matter.
On whether Fatoyinbo is a financial and committed member of the body, Isong said he was not aware of his membership of Abuja chapter of the PFN. He said further that those who went to his church to show solidarity with him went there on their personal capacity and were not representing the PFN. “They went to his church because he is a Pentecostal” he said.
Church Times however gathered from a top PFN official that Fatoyinbo refused to honour the PFN probe panel because he said his life was not safe in Lagos.
The source said “the probe panel on the rape issue was sitting in Lagos. The panel could not go to Abuja and they thought it was not proper to go to Abuja to meet him. They needed to seat in Lagos because it is a neutral place. Fatoyinbo was invited to meet the panel in Lagos. But he said he was not sure of his safety in Lagos. The panel however could not go to meet him in Abuja because they felt it would be out of place to go to him. He ought to honour the panel by leaving his base to meet the panel.” The source said.