Bishop Oyedepo Faces N2 Billion Lawsuit For Slapping.

Flamboyant Nigerian Bishop Oyedepo
Faces N2 Billion Lawsuit For Assaulting
Female Church Member

Popular pastor and founder of the Living
Faith Christian Church International, David
Oyedepo, will face a legal action for slapping
a young lady during church service, last year.
Robert Igbinedion, a Lagos based lawyer,
confirmed to Premium Times Friday that he
had filed a suit, on behalf of the young lady,
at the Ogun State High Court for the
enforcement of the lady's fundamental
rights to freedom from inhuman and
degrading treatment, human dignity, fair
hearing, and freedom from discrimination.
Mr. Igbinedion is seeking an award of N2bn
as 'general and exemplary damages' against
Mr. Oyedepo.
"If a wrong is done to the young lady, she is
bound to receive justice for that wrong,"
said Mr. Igbinedion, a Solicitor at Salus
Populi Chambers.
In the suit, Mr. Igbinedion said that the
young lady, while answering an "illegal" alter
call, was trying to explain herself when the
pastor gave her "a dirty and thunderous
slap."
"The respondent (Mr. Oyedepo) made the
alter call for witches to come out, he did not
make a similar call for other categories of
sinners like illicit drug dealers, contract
inflators, fraudsters, adulterers, and
fornicators in the church," read the suit.
Mr. Igbinedion, who represented the victims
of the celebrated Pastor Emeka Ezeugo
(popularly known as Reverend King) at the
Magistrate court, in 2006; stated that cases
of violence in the place of worship if not
nipped in the bud could escalate into
'uncountable' dimensions.
Furthermore, he said the calling out of the
young lady (and others) as witches are
illegal, unconstitutional, and a breach of
Section 34 of the Constitution of Nigeria,
African Charter on Human and People's
Right, and United Nations Universal
Declaration on Human Right.
The suit asked the court to compel Mr.
Oyedepo to issue a self-signed public
apology to be published in two national
dailies and one international satellite
television station.
It also wants the respondent to issue a
similar alter call for drug dealers, corrupt
government officials, bribe-giving
contractors, and other category of sinners
who are members of the church.
In December last year, a video of Mr.
Oyedepo viciously slapping a teenage girl
during church service for saying she is "a
witch for Jesus" appeared on popular site
You Tube.
Though later removed, the video went viral
within days with the pastor, fondly called
Papa, receiving a lot of stick from outraged
viewers and members of the public.
One viewer described the act as "unbiblical,
barbaric, and a disgrace."
Days later, another video surfaced in which
Mr. Oyedepo tried to justify his action saying
"it is my ministry to slap" and that the fact
that the witch, rather than going to court,
apologized showed his superiority.