The Public Relations Officer of the First African Church Mission, Mr. Soneye Sunday, has accused officers of the Nigerian Police Force and top leaders of his church of orchestrating a brutal assault that left him in a coma during the mission’s recent convention in Omo Ijebu, Lagos State.
In an explosive account granted exclusively to SaharaReporters, Soneye alleged that the violent attack—carried out on August 14, 2025, the same day the church celebrated its Founders’ Day—was a deliberate attempt to silence him after he questioned alleged constitutional forgery and financial mismanagement within the church’s leadership.
> “I simply asked during the meeting: Which constitution is the church using? Immediately, the Primate lambasted me, shouted me down, and gave the order that I should be dealt with. Police officers and his loyalists pounced on me,” Soneye recounted.
The church PRO claimed that the assault was led by Primate Matilukuro Oludare, with the active involvement of a policewoman, Kemi Komolafe, who allegedly mobilised armed officers to enforce the primate’s order.
Others fingered in the attack include:
Barrister Kiribo Imabibo, accused of striking him with a walking stick,
Tosin Stowe,
Bisi Bakola, alleged to have incited further beatings, and
Toke Akitoye.
According to Soneye, the violence escalated when uniformed police officers joined in, dragging him behind the podium and striking him repeatedly.
“One officer hit me with a baton on the head. The first time, I was dizzy. The second strike, I collapsed. I fainted instantly. When concerned members tried to rush me to the hospital, the police blocked the gate, saying I must die there,” he alleged.
He said his survival was only possible because of protests from church members, after which a sympathetic bishop managed to rush him to a nearby hospital.
Doctors Fought to Revive Him
At the hospital, doctors reportedly declared him clinically dead for several minutes.
“The doctors said I was gone already. I was placed on oxygen for more than three hours before they detected a faint pulse. Later, a CT brain scan confirmed I suffered a fracture,” he revealed.
Soneye is currently receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
In a twist that shocked many, Soneye alleged that while he lay unconscious in the hospital, Primate Oludare continued the church meeting and even pushed for his suspension as PRO.
“Someone was dying in the hospital, and all he could think of was to move a motion for my suspension. That was not just assault—it was attempted murder,” he said.
Beyond the physical attack, Soneye accused the primate and his associates of widespread corruption, ranging from constitutional forgery to financial exploitation of dioceses and church groups.
> “They are selling church privileges, diverting CCN funds, and extorting dioceses. The primate’s wife is forcing Christian mothers to pay ₦300,000 each. This man is due for retirement next year, so he wants to create chaos and cover up his corruption,” he alleged.
The First African Church Mission, which boasts over 1,000 parishes across Nigeria and the Benin Republic, has not issued an official statement regarding the disturbing allegations. Similarly, the Nigerian Police Force has remained silent on the matter.
Despite his ordeal, Soneye insists he will not be cowed into silence.
> “They wanted me dead because I spoke against fraud and forgery. But I survived. I have the documents, the videos, and the hospital reports. This is not just assault—it is attempted murder sanctioned by church leaders and executed with the help of the police.”
PIONEER NEWS 