Foursquare Gospel Church suspends pastor exposed in Sex For Grade sexual abuse scandal

The Foursquare Gospel Church, Nigeria has ordered one of its pastors, Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, who was implicated in BBC’s Sex for Grade documentary to step down from ministerial duties pending the outcome of its own investigation.

Some background

On Monday, 7th October 2019, the BBC Africa Eye published a documentary that exposes sexual abuse in the University of Lagos and University of Accra. The BBC says it undertook the investigation following decades of such abuse, which is often difficult to prove. They went undercover with hidden cameras to literally catch some of the lecturers involved in the act. Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a senior lecturer and a pastor the Foursquare Gospel Church is one of those caught in the scandal.

Aftermaths

The church issued a directive via a statement signed by its National Secretary of the church, Rev Ikechukwu Ugbaja. In the statement shared on Twitter, the church says it does not “condone such heinous and unscriptural act among our ministers.

The church also “dissociates itself from the purported conduct of Dr Igbeneghu and promise to take appropriate measure as soon as the ongoing investigation is concluded.”

Read the statement: