The Ekiti State Baptist Conference has extricated its former acting President, Reverend Olukayode Ayinde, from a social media report alleging one Rev. Dr. Olukayode Ayinde of being remanded in prison, in year 2020 on the account of defilement of a minor.
The online platform (not Oyo Reporters) had stated that Chief Magistrate I.T Olaolorun remanded one Rev. Olukayode Ayinde who was charged with rape of a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) in Ado Ekiti sometime in August, 2020 in contravention of section 357 of the Criminal Code Cap. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
However, a statement made available to Oyo Reporters recently by Toba Adaramola, Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Baptist Conference, read that Ayinde was not the person who was allegedly indicted hence he was not, at any time, remanded for any crime.
The statement read that “Our attention has been drawn to a news item in the social media with the title, ‘Cleric remanded for rape’ which was purportedly compiled by the Information/Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Judiciary.In the said social media report, one Rev. Dr. Olukayode Ayinde (55) was ordered by the Chief Magistrate of a Court in Ado Ekiti to be remanded in Ado Ekiti Correctional Centre in August 2020.
“Ordinarily, we would have just ignored the said story but the various calls our revered pastor has been receiving from friends, church members and well-wishers prompted this response. We wish to state here that it was just a case of identical name; our pastor never had any court case not to talk of been remanded in any correctional centre.
“Rev. Olukayode Ayinde is a respected man of God who has been the acting Conference President of Ekiti Baptist Conference without any blemish. As a matter of fact, Reverend Olukayode Ayinde started his ministerial work as the Pastor of First Baptist Church, Ado Ekiti, in September 2004. He is respected by all because he values his integrity and ministerial calling.
“As of the time of writing this, Rev. Olukayode Ayinde was not up to 55 years of age so could not have been remanded in August 2020 at 55 years. He has a ministry to serve God, bring people to the saving hands of the most High God and to preach the good news of the Lord to the oppressed. We implore our good-hearted people to ignore the malicious and scandalous release. It was just a wishful thought from the pit of hell and will never be the portion of our pastor in Jesus name.”
