Prophet Ajiboye Olayinka, the General Overseer of Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The verdict, delivered on Wednesday by Justice H.A. Gegele of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, marks the conclusion of a harrowing case involving the serial abuse of minors within the sanctuary of the church.
Justice Gegele found Olayinka guilty of having unlawful sexual intercourse with three minors at the church’s mission house in Agah, Ganmo, located in the Ifelodun Local Government Area. In addition to the life sentence, the court handed down a 14-year prison term for the illegal termination of several pregnancies resulting from the abuse.
While the prosecution secured convictions on the primary counts of sexual assault and illegal abortion, the court discharged the defendant on the charge of bigamy, citing a failure to establish that specific offense.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari, presented a chilling account of the Prophet’s operations. During the trial, 12 witnesses testified, including three victims identified as PW3, PW4, and PW5.
Their testimonies revealed a ritualized pattern of abuse:
Spiritual Manipulation: The defendant reportedly applied “anointing oil” to the victims’ private parts before forcefully violating them.
Oaths of Secrecy: Victims were allegedly forced to swear on the Holy Bible, with Olayinka threatening to kill them if the incidents were ever revealed.
Abortion: The court heard evidence that the defendant performed multiple illegal abortions on the minors to cover his tracks.
In a scathing assessment of the defendant’s character, Justice Gegele did not mince words. He described Prophet Olayinka as a “pedophile and philanderer whose conduct should be deprecated by all and sundry in the society.”
The judge emphasized that the prosecution had successfully proven the counts of rape and illegal abortion beyond a reasonable doubt, noting that the sanctity of the mission house had been desecrated by these criminal acts. The Prophet faced an eight-count charge bordering on:
Criminal conspiracy
Unlawful sexual intercourse with minors
Illegal abortion
Unlawful possession of firearms
Regarding the weapons charge, Justice Gegele directed that a pump-action gun recovered from the defendant’s possession be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The conviction follows a rigorous legal battle. On February 11, 2026, the prosecution team vigorously cross-examined Olayinka and his defense witnesses. Following the adoption of written addresses, the court adjourned for the final judgment delivered today.
This sentencing is being hailed by child rights advocates in Kwara State as a significant victory for the Kwara State Child Rights Law (2006) and a stern warning to those who use positions of spiritual authority to exploit the vulnerable.
