Di South African government don deport Timothy Omotoso, one Nigerian televangelist wey be senior pastor for Jesus Dominion International (JDI), wey dey for Durban.
Omotoso, wey be 66 years old, bin dey inside one long court wahala wey last for eight years. Dem accuse am of serious crime dem like r@pe, racketeering, and human trafficking.
Hawks, wey be South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, arrest am for 20 April 2017 for Port Elizabeth International Airport. Di arrest and di charges shake South African people well well. But on 2 April 2025, Eastern Cape High Court clear am from all di 32 charges, say di prosecution make plenty mistake for how dem take handle di case. Na so dem release am from prison.
After dem release am, immigration people re-arrest am again for East London on 10 May. According to wetin South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) talk on Sunday, Omotoso gree make dem deport am and e enter flight wey fly go Lagos by 3:10 p.m.
As e dey travel, Omotoso wear grey hoodie, black track pants, and sunshade. Police follow am waka from domestic arrival terminal go international departure terminal for O.R. Tambo International Airport. E don come from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport earlier. Dem expect say e go reach Lagos by 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
South Africa Department of Home Affairs don confirm say Omotoso no go fit enter di country again for di next five years.
Omotoso na di person wey start Ancient of Days Broadcasting Network (ADBN) and e write book wey dem call How to Enjoy Health and Wealth and Longevity. E bin dey for center of di first big r@pe trial wey dem show live for South African TV. Di case carry national attention because di country dey fight serious gbese with sexual violence.
One 2025 BBC report talk say one witness talk for court say Omotoso r@pe am when she be 14 years old back in 2018. But di court say e no guilty because of big mistake wey prosecution people make. Di National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) talk say di first prosecutors no handle di matter well and dem no grill di defence side well. Dem also talk say di case long because Omotoso lawyers dey file plenty court applications.
Di people wey follow Omotoso for di case – Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho – dem also free dem from all di charges.
Di popular case cause serious talk for di country about victims’ rights, whether court dey fair, and whether to show court matter for TV dey help or spoil justice. As at di time dem write dis tori, dem never confirm whether Omotoso don land for Nigeria.
