South African political group Actiona calls for the expulsion of South Africa-based Nigerian TV broadcaster Timothy Omotoso for his acquittal of R@PE charges in GQEBERHA High Court.
Omotoso and his co-defendants Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho were released Wednesday, April 2 after eight years of detention.
Omotoso’s 66-year-old senior pastor faces charges of R@ping and trafficking in young women, including Gospel Group, Grace’s Galaxy and girls from the school days at the Jesus Dominion International Church in South Africa.
Omotoso was arrested in 2017 and charged with multiple crimes, including S£Xual Ass@Ult and human trafficking.
His church, located in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, was eventually closed after angry crowds gathered around the building in protest.
According to South African news media IOL, the country’s national prosecution agency is considering all possible options to ensure the complainant’s justice.
NPA spokesman Luxolo Tyali explained that the extended legal process affected witness participation.
“The delay made some witnesses no longer want to provide evidence because they showed they had continued to live and were not interested in their experiences in court,” Thialy said.
The report also shows that despite no official confirmation, Omotoso will be acquitted and deported back to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Actiona, a political organization founded by former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, called on Omotoso to immediately remove him from South Africa.
In a statement, the group condemned individuals who exploited their faith for their personal benefit and insisted that Omotoso had no place in the country.
“Actiona is firmly opposed to the infiltration of suspicious entrepreneurs and self-proclaimed ‘Bible entrepreneurs’, who plundered hard-working and unsuspecting citizens. These people have deprived people of faith and despair, and robbed people of innocence and stubborn money,” the statement said.
“Our focus is on those who have entered our country like Timothy Omotoso and quickly got caught up in crime,” the statement continued.
“Omotoso in particular has been charged with heinous crimes including human trafficking, sexual assault and rackets involving vulnerable women and underage children.”
Actiona highlighted his acquittal as a “devastating blow to victims and prosecutions against our Immigration Services, the criminal justice system and the state prosecutor’s authorities ongoing failure to achieve judicial justice.”
The organization further requested that Omotoso and his associates be added to the national sex offenders’ register and prohibited any role that would allow them to gain vulnerable individuals.
“In addition, we call on the immigration authorities to revoke Omotoso’s residence and deport him to Nigeria immediately. South Africa cannot be a refuge for those who exploit and harm their people,” the statement concluded.
