Pastor Timothy Oluseun Omotoso is the senior pastor of a Jesus Dominion International, based in Durban, South Africa .
Age
He was born 14 July 1958. He is 62 years old as of 2021.
| Born |
Timothy Oluseun Omotoso
July 14, 1958 Nigeria
|
|---|---|
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Years active | 1985–2018 |
| Criminal charge(s) | 63 charges of Rape, Human Trafficking and Racketeering |
Jail
He is currently in jail and on trial at the Port Elizabeth high court for rape and human trafficking. He is alleged to have groomed his victims and began molesting them from the age of 14. He was arrested by the South African priority crimes unit, Hawks,on Thursday, 20 April 2017 at the Port Elizabeth International Airport
Career
The itinerant arm of his ministry functions under Tim Omotoso Global Outreach (T.O.G.O), while the Church arm is Jesus Dominion International with branches across South Africa, France and the UK; it holds crusades all over the world, including Nigeria
Omotoso has initiated a youth project in South Africa called “Youth Empowerment Project” (YEP), under which he has mentored a number of music groups including Grace Galaxy and Simply Chrysolite who have composed their own songs and produced albums under his guidance.
Television
Omotoso is the founder of a 24-hour satellite TV station, Ancient of Days Broadcasting Network (ADBN), which airs across the Caribbean, Africa, Mexico, Middle East, Europe and United States. His weekly TV broadcast, ‘Just As I Am’, features music, sermons and miracle sessions and airs across various networks .
Publications
He has written a book titled How to Enjoy Health, Wealth and Longevity and also a prayer book – Prayer Bonanza. His ministry also publishes an annual daily devotional. His messages are also available on DVD.
Personal life
He has said he was taught by the Lord to play the piano, the guitar, drums and other musical instruments before the age of 10. In the 1980s, he served as a music director for Ebenezer Obey’s Decross Band & Inter Reformers’ Band in the 80s.
Wife & Kids
Reverend Timothy Omotoso is married to Taiwo Omotoso. Not much is known about his kids.
Allegations
Omotoso is alleged to have groomed people and abused them from the age of 14. If the court finds that the allegation of sex with minors is true, he will be convicted of statutory rape regardless if the act was consensual or not and he may face a life behind bars. He is alleged to have serially abused people over a period of time and shielded his acts behind the pulpit. Over 30 young girls have come forward to detail their experiences at the hand of the alleged sexual predator. He was arrested by the South African priority crimes unit, Hawks, on Thursday, 20 April 2017 at the Port Elizabeth International Airport
Wife Begs For Mercy
Reverend Timothy Omotoso’s wife, Taiwo Omotoso, his church members and Centre for Justice, Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR) have appealed to the Director General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NDC) to bail the cleric.
Rev. Omotoso, 62, the senior pastor and founder of Jesus Dominion International, Durban, South Africa, was arrested on April 20, 2017 for alleged rape and human trafficking.
Trial
The pastor and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, face 63 main and 34 alternative charges related to contravention of the Sexual Offences Act. His alleged victims included girls as young as 13.
The accused pastor lost his third bid for bail after the Port Elizabeth high court dismissed his latest application on November 2020.
In his judgment, judge Phillip Zilwa said he could not find any new substantial or exceptional circumstances, after Omotoso brought the application based on new facts.
Tired of the situation and with no help in sight, his wife, Taiwo Omotoso and the members of the church had sent an appeal to the Director General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NDC), against what they termed the indefinite incarceration and prolonged legal prosecution of hate against Rev. Timothy Omotoso in St. Alban’s Prison Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
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They also appealed for immediate intervention and his release from custody on bail through the Centre for Justice, Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), a non-governmental Organisation with focus on promoting human rights and advocacy in Nigeria Correctional Service.
CJMR visits detainees in custodial centers and creates a “safe avenue” for everyone, irrespective of their identities – race, gender, class, religion or political beliefs by looking at those who are innocent as well as the repented guilty offender in order to reconcile and reintegrate them back to the society.
The Executive Director CJMR, Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi, stated that “we are severely disturbed at the nature of prosecution/persecution that the South African Government is meting down on a Nigerian citizen without any hope of justice in view.,”
“We therefore urge you to use your good office and step into this matter. To ensure the dispensation of justice and to effect the immediate release of Rev. Timothy Omotoso from unjust and indefinite incarceration through bail,”
“We strongly hold the view that there are some individual using the South African Government in destroying him in incarceration.We therefore plead with you to immediately investigate this perversion of justice and come to the rescue of a fellow and true Nigerian,” he said.
He added that, having done personal research on the matter online and in light of the content of the 562 pages of the court proceedings received on June 6, 2021 along with the affidavit sworn by Alwyn Griebenow and analysis of the circumstances that surrounded the arrest of Timothy Omotoso, CJMR is forced to conclude that his arrest and prosecution emanated from hatred and is masterminded by someone somewhere.
CJMR added that there are disturbing facts in the matter; Rev. Timothy Omotoso was arrested in the full glare of cameras, on live television and in the presence of a multitude of media personnel, placed in handcuffs without a warrant and prosecution has been more of a media trial than the actualisation of justice for any of the parties.
“More disturbing is the fact that most of the witnesses that have testified in court mentioned that they were contacted by Captain Brenda Mangqawana or Investigating Officer Peter Plaatjies to open a case against Rev. Omotoso,”
“This shows they ordinarily did not desire to commence a case on their own volition. There is obviously strong political interference in the prosecution of the charge against Rev. Timothy. This still boils down to the xenophobic attitude of some South Africans towards Nigerians as there have been personal attacks on the wife of the accused,” CJMR stated, adding that the suit has been conducted by the fifth prosecutor, who is also threatening to also withdraw.