A Nigerian-born evangelical pastor residing in the UK, Michael Oluronbi, 60, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for multiple rapes of members of his congregation, along with the abuse of children and adults over a 20-year period.
The court heard that several of his female victims became pregnant multiple times, some as a result of his actions. Oluronbi, based in Birmingham, was convicted of 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against six women and a man.
His wife, Juliana, was also convicted for aiding and abetting rape and received an 11-year sentence. Oluronbi’s manipulative tactics included convincing victims to participate in ‘spiritual bathing’ to ‘cleanse’ them of evil spirits, which escalated into repeated rapes for some.
Despite his denial of wrongdoing, Judge Sarah Buckingham condemned his actions as one of the worst cases of sexual abuse to come before the courts. One victim, now an adult, bravely came forward to help secure Oluronbi’s conviction. His splinter group, separate from the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Edgbaston, Birmingham, where he was linked, facilitated his predatory behavior. The offences, spanning two decades, took place in Birmingham and London.
Oluronbi was arrested at Birmingham Airport in May last year, while attempting to flee to Nigeria, further underscored the gravity of his crimes.