A Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso, has been rearrested in South Africa just weeks after being cleared of rape and human trafficking charges.
The 66-year-old preacher, who leads the Jesus Dominion International Church, was picked up early Saturday morning in East London, according to South African police and the Department of Home Affairs.
Omotoso was arrested in 2017 on 32 charges, including rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. He spent nine years in custody while his trial continued.
Several young women had testified that Omotoso took advantage of them, with some saying they were still in school when it happened. The court, however, acquitted him last month of all the charges.
Confirming the latest arrest, South Africa’s National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, said the pastor was detained for immigration-related reasons.
“Well, I know it’s Omotoso. He was arrested this morning around 5 o’clock in East London as he was finishing the church,” Masemola said.
He added, “Inspectorate immigration of the Department of Home Affairs, together with the South African Police Service and Tactical Response Team, carried out the arrest.”
According to Masemola, Omotoso will be charged in court on Monday, and more details will be made public then.
“He will appear in court somewhere around Monday, and everybody will know exactly what charges he’s facing. But it’s immigration-related matters,” he explained.
Omotoso’s case has remained one of the most controversial involving a foreign pastor in South Africa, with many closely watching how the latest development unfolds.
