The leadership of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) on Saturday condemned what it called “the recent unprovoked satanic campaign of calumny orchestrated against the leadership and members of the church”, even as it stressed that COZA does not support rape.

A press statement signed at the weekend by the Executive Senior Assistant to the Senior Pastor, Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Mr Ademola Adetuberu, said that “the church would like to break its silence and clear certain misconception and misinformation being churned out in order to misguide members of the church, public and relevant authorities that we do not support rape.”

The statement added: “We stand with anyone who has been a victim of rape. We stand by our Founder and Senior Pastor, Rev. Biodun Fatoyinbo, who has been at the receiving end of organised blackmail and all sorts of attacks because of his innocence and we are sure that our faithful and unfailing God will vindicate him very soon.”

While saying that justice would soon be served on Busola Dakolo, the statement stressed: “We would like to, again, for the record reiterate that our Senior Pastor, Rev. Biodun Fatoyinbo has never had anything personal to do with her. Busola was not raped by Rev. Biodun Fatoyinbo and she had never been in a relationship with him either.

“We see this ugly development fuelled by envy and sheer jealousy as an unnecessary distraction and a fight from the pit of hell against the ministry that God gave Rev. Biodun Fatoyinbo, as well as a declaration of war against the Church of Christ to which COZA is a flourishing branch under God’s grace.

“We are not unaware that certain pastors that felt threatened by the unprecedented growth of COZA and the grace of God upon His Servant are after some of our members, just making every effort to cash in on the attack against God’s servant. There was nothing they had not done behind the scene until this rape scandal. They are accusing our Pastor of snatching their members. Some are even asking why he couldn’t remain in Ilorin. Our focus is the Kingdom of God and winning souls for Christ. COZA is home to those who have sold out to Jesus. At COZA, we believe that every sent servant of God has his or her harvest field given to him or her by God and not by poaching souls or believers of another ministry.

“The enemies of the Church have been going about fabricating stories against our Pastor having realised that the Busola story cannot be proved in the court of law. They are begging people to come out to make frivolous claims against the anointed Servant of God. Not only that, some highly respected Pastors who identify with our Pastor are being abused and insulted for standing by the truth while some agreed with them on the need to demonise and destroy our Pastor. But we have a message for them, COZA is marching on and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus Christ whom we are serving will vindicate our Pastor and the adversaries will be silenced forever in Jesus Name.”

The leadership of COZA therefore urged “those sponsoring these evils to desist,” saying that “if they do not, the God of vengeance will visit them.”

“They should let Rev. Biodun Fatoyinbo continue freely with his divine mandate that our Lord Jesus Christ gave him. It is ungodly and sinful to be used by Satan against the anointed,” the statement said.

Update news