The Prophet Who Saw Tinubu’s Arrests but Never Saw His Own Fall

Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniels

THE PROPHECY, THE PULPIT AND THE LIFE SENTENCE

Bishop Feyi Daniels’ Dramatic Vision of Tinubu’s Arrest, the Revolution He Predicted and the Criminal Case That Ended in Conviction

On February 19, 2023, as Nigeria stood on the threshold of a fiercely contested presidential election, Bishop Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, founder of I Reign Christian Ministry, released a video on his YouTube channel that would later attract considerable public attention.

In the video, the Lagos-based preacher spoke with apparent certainty about the outcome of the forthcoming election and the events he claimed would follow the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s next president.

His message was not simply about who would win the election.
It was about what, according to his account, would happen on the day the winner was expected to assume office.
And the details he offered were dramatic.

THE DAY THE PRESIDENT-ELECT WOULD BE ARRESTEDPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu taking his oath of office

In the video, Daniels said he had received a revelation concerning Tinubu’s inauguration.
He described a scene in which supporters of the All Progressives Congress would gather to celebrate what they believed was the fulfilment of their political expectations.
Then, he said, the unexpected would happen.
“About to be sworn-in, that day, everybody that said he (Tinubu) is the next president will be rejoicing and they will be saying, I told you, prophets that don’t see far will start telling you that, didn’t I tell you that Tinubu is the next president?”

The preacher continued:

“At that event, it looks like a very open ground, like a stadium-like centre, while at that event, military men will come in and they will arrest Tinubu.”

It was a startling prediction.

According to the account attributed to Daniels, Tinubu would win the election but would not be sworn in as president on May 29, 2023.

Instead, the inauguration ceremony would reportedly be interrupted by military officers, who would arrest the president-elect before he could assume office.

The prediction painted a picture of a political transition abruptly thrown into chaos.

But Daniels’ vision did not end with the alleged arrest.

AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT AND A POLITICAL DRAMA

In further pronouncements attributed to him, Daniels spoke of an interim government taking over following the disruption of Tinubu’s inauguration.

In some versions of the prophecy, he reportedly mentioned Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo or Peter Obi as possible leaders of the proposed interim administration.

He also spoke about Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, and the political battle that would allegedly follow the election.

According to the accounts of the prophecy, Obi would challenge the election results, face arrest by the Department of State Services and eventually recover what Daniels described as his mandate.

He reportedly predicted that Obi would later be inaugurated on another date.

The preacher also spoke of a revolution that would surpass the EndSARS protests, a mass movement that shook Nigeria in October 2020.

His predictions suggested that the country was heading towards a period of extraordinary political upheaval.

THE STRANGE IMAGE OF TINUBU AND BUGA

Among the other details attributed to Daniels was a vision of Tinubu dressed in blue and dancing to Buga, the hit song by Nigerian singer Kizz Daniel.

The imagery was unusual, especially when placed alongside the more ominous elements of the prediction.
It was a curious mixture of political triumph, public celebration and impending disruption.

But the central claim remained unmistakable: Tinubu would win the election, yet the inauguration would not proceed as planned.

For those who watched the video, the prophecy offered a specific sequence of events against which its accuracy could eventually be measured.

The date was already known.
May 29, 2023.

MAY 29: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

The day arrived.
At Eagle Square in Abuja, Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the oath of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The inauguration proceeded without the military intervention or arrest described in Daniels’ prophecy.

There was no reported arrest of Tinubu at the ceremony.
No interim government took over.
The predicted interruption of the inauguration did not occur.

Tinubu assumed office, and the events described in the prophecy did not unfold as projected.

The contrast between the prediction and the actual events subsequently became a subject of public discussion.

But while the political prophecy faded from the headlines, another chapter in the preacher’s life was unfolding.

This time, the setting would not be an inauguration ground.
It would be a courtroom.

THE ALLEGATIONS THAT SHOOK THE MINISTRY

Bishop Feyi Daniels, once known primarily to many followers as a preacher and spiritual leader, later found himself facing serious criminal allegations.
The case involved accusations of rape and sexual assault concerning female members of his church.
The prosecution alleged that Daniels had abused his position of authority in relation to women within his ministry.

One of the complainants, identified in court reports as a female assistant pastor, alleged that she was summoned to Daniels’ residence in Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos, in June 2020.

According to her testimony, she had been called to account for her absence from a church meeting.
What followed, she alleged, was a sexual assault.

The woman told the court that Daniels ordered her to undress and raped her. She further alleged that the assault was repeated the following day and that she was warned against disclosing what had happened.

The allegations were fiercely contested.
Daniels denied the accusations and maintained that he was innocent.

MORE WOMEN, MORE ALLEGATIONS

The case eventually involved allegations concerning several women connected to the church.
The prosecution presented a revised charge containing four counts involving allegations of attempted rape, rape and sexual assault.
The allegations related to incidents said to have occurred at different locations, including the church’s office in Ikeja and Daniels’ residence.

Prosecutors sought to establish that Daniels’ position as a pastor gave him considerable influence over the women involved.

During his testimony, Daniels rejected the suggestion that he had used his religious position to manipulate women.

He also told the court that he believed three of the women who accused him had conspired against him.

The proceedings exposed a deeply troubling dispute involving religious authority, allegations of sexual abuse and the limits of trust within a ministry.

But the final decision rested with the court.

THE JUDGMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGBishop Feyi Daniels
From pulpit to jail

On January 26, 2024, Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court delivered judgment in the case.
Daniels was convicted of rape and sexual assault.
The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment for rape and an additional three years for sexual assault, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently.

The court also ordered that his name be placed on the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.

However, the judgment did not result in convictions on every allegation.

The court discharged Daniels on another rape count and acquitted him on an attempted-rape charge after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove those allegations beyond reasonable doubt.

The distinction was significant.
The life sentence was based on the offences the court found proved beyond reasonable doubt, while other allegations did not result in convictions.

Daniels’ conviction marked a dramatic turning point in the public story of the clergyman.

WHEN THE SPOTLIGHT CHANGED DIRECTION

The contrast between the two chapters of Daniels’ public life was difficult to ignore.
In February 2023, he had spoken about a dramatic political future involving Tinubu, an interrupted inauguration, an interim government and a possible revolution.

On May 29, 2023, Tinubu was inaugurated without the predicted arrest or disruption.
Months later, Daniels himself became the subject of criminal proceedings.

And in January 2024, the courtroom delivered a judgment that would change his life permanently.

The story, however, is not about divine retribution or proof of a spiritual connection between the prophecy and the criminal case.

There is no established evidence that the two events were connected.
It is a story about a public prediction that did not materialise and a criminal case that ended in conviction.

It is also a reminder that religious titles and public influence do not place anyone beyond the reach of the law.

For the women who brought allegations before the court, the proceedings represented a search for justice.
For Daniels, they culminated in a life sentence.

And for the public, the story remains a striking account of how the fortunes of a man in the public eye can change dramatically—from the pulpit to the prison cell.

*First Weekly Magazine — Best Stories Under the Sky.

Editorial note: The prophecy is reproduced from the transcript supplied for this feature. The allegations and court proceedings are based on published reports. The conviction and sentence are matters of judicial record. This feature does not suggest any causal or supernatural connection between the prophecy and the subsequent criminal case.