Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso has been deported from South Africa following his acquittal in a landmark rape trial, authorities have confirmed.
The 66-year-old pastor, whose eight-year legal battle captivated the nation, was expelled after immigration officials declared him an “undesirable person” barred from re-entering the country for five years.
Omotoso, leader of the Jesus Dominion International Church, was arrested in 2017 on charges including rape, human trafficking and racketeering.
Prosecutors alleged that he exploited young female congregants from his Port Elizabeth branch, with one accuser claiming she was assaulted at age 14.
His trial – the first high-profile rape case broadcast live in South Africa – ended on 2 April when a court dismissed all 32 charges due to insufficient evidence.
Despite his acquittal, Omotoso faced renewed scrutiny from immigration authorities who re-arrested him on 10 May in the Indian Ocean port city of East London for allegedly residing in South Africa illegally.
The Department of Home Affairs stated he agreed to voluntary deportation and departed from OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced on Monday that it would proceed with an appeal against the acquittal, asserting Omotoso’s physical presence is unnecessary for the process.
Should the appeal succeed, prosecutors plan to invoke a bilateral extradition treaty with Nigeria to return him for further proceedings.
Omotoso’s church has branches across South Africa, Nigeria, Europe and Israel.
His abrupt exit marks a contentious close to a trial that spotlighted both legal complexities and the fraught intersection of religious influence and criminal activities.
JN/APA