A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has handed down a life sentence to a self-styled prophet after he was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing underage girls within his own ministry.
Prophet Ajiboye Abayomi Olayinka, founder of Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, was convicted on Wednesday by Justice Hammed Aliyu Gegele on multiple counts, including unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, procuring illegal abortions, criminal intimidation, and related offences.
Court records revealed that Olayinka preyed on three 13-year-old girls inside the church’s mission house in the Agah area of Ganmo, where he wielded spiritual authority over his congregation. Beyond the life sentence, the court tacked on an additional 14 years for pressuring victims into illegal abortions and threatening them into silence.
Justice Gegele did not mince words in his ruling, branding the convict a “paedophile and philanderer” whose conduct deserved the condemnation of all of society. The court found that Olayinka deliberately weaponised his religious influence to exploit vulnerable children, leaving them with deep physical, emotional, and psychological wounds.
Olayinka had faced an eight-count charge covering criminal conspiracy, unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, illegal abortion, criminal intimidation, and unlawful possession of firearms — prosecuted under the Penal Code, the Robbery and Firearms Act, and the Kwara State Child Rights Law 2006.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari, built a formidable case, presenting 12 witnesses and multiple exhibits before the court throughout the trial.
The verdict has drawn widespread praise from legal practitioners, child rights advocates, and the public, with many describing it as a landmark moment for survivors of institutional abuse. Advocates argue that the ruling signals a firm judicial stance: no religious title, pulpit, or position of trust will serve as a shield for those who harm children.
Child protection groups are using the case to renew calls for stronger abuse-reporting systems, better survivor protection frameworks, and broader public education on child safeguarding — particularly within religious and educational institutions across Nigeria.
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