A Family Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a self-proclaimed cleric, Apostle Favour Okoise, to two life terms in prison after convicting him in two separate rape cases involving multiple victims, including a 16-year-old girl.
Okoise, the General Overseer of The Refiner’s Fire Church, was found guilty on multiple counts of rape, defilement of a minor, and obtaining by false pretenses. The judgment was delivered on June 16 and 17 by Family High Court 2 sitting in Calabar.
In the first case, the court convicted the defendant on three counts of rape involving adult female victims, as well as one count of fraud. In the second case, which centered on the rape of a minor, Okoise received an additional life sentence and was ordered to pay ₦1 million in restitution to the survivor.
The trial, which began in 2023, was prosecuted by the Cross River State Ministry of Justice through the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), led by Okoi E. Ukam, Esq., and conducted in court by Cletus Adama, Esq.
Legal counsel to the victims, Doris Nduanusi, Esq., described Okoise’s methods as predatory, alleging that he manipulated his female congregants by claiming that sexual acts were required for spiritual initiation. “He called it a ‘special dealing’ with the Holy Spirit,” she said.
Despite being remanded in custody since February 2024, church members were allegedly misled to believe the pastor was on a spiritual retreat. “It was only after the conviction that many of them came to terms with the truth,” Nduanusi added, noting that Okoise remained unrepentant throughout the trial.
The case received the backing of the Cross River State Government, which provided legal and psychological support to the victims and contributed to securing the conviction.
