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Detectives from the Nigeria Police on Tuesday quizzed the founder of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly(COZA), Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, over the rape allegations levelled against him by Busola Dakolo, a photographer and wife of popular singer, Timi Dakolo.
The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Deputy Commisioner of Police, Frank Mba, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja.
Responding to a question, Mba said, “Yes, he is in our custody.”
When asked if the pastor was being detained, the PPRO said it was too early to say, adding that the investigation of Fatoyinbo is a proof that the police had not swept the matter under the carpet as was being insinuated in some quarters.
On why it took so long for the pastor to be invited, Mba said the police wanted to get statements from several witnesses and then build a solid case before inviting him.
His words:“We have done a whole lot of background investigations and spoken to a whole lot of people before now. It was a deliberate investigative procedure to bring him last. Although we may invite others later depending on how investigations go.
“We were not in a hurry to bring him because we wanted to have enough background information that would be used in interrogating him. We have done an extensive investigation.”
Newspeakonline recalls that Dakolo accused the Pastor of raping her 20 years ago while she was still a teenager.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN) had last Thursday revealed that its probe into the allegations against Fatoyinbo was inconclusive because he failed to honour the invitation extended to him to appear before its panel.
Fatoyinbo had shunned the panel set up by the PFN to investigate the rape allegations against him, saying he was advised by his lawyers not to appear because the panel was prejudiced and may not conduct an impartial session.
He, however, said in a statement last Friday that he could appear before the panel after police investigations.