Soneye narrated how he was beaten into a coma and nearly lost his life on August 14, 2025 – the same day the church marked its Founders’ Day.
Mr. Soneye Sunday, Public Relations Officer of the First African Church Mission, has accused some Nigerian police officers and senior church leaders of brutal assault, attempted murder, and a cover-up during the mission’s recent convention in Omo Ijebu, Lagos State.
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters , Soneye narrated how he was beaten into a coma and nearly lost his life on August 14, 2025 – the same day the church marked its Founders’ Day.
“I’m a member of the First African Church Mission, the oldest indigenous church in Africa. I serve as the PRO of the mission. On August 14, during our convention at Omo Ijebu, Lagos, I was assaulted by the Nigerian police and some church leaders led by Primate Matilukuro Oludare,”he alleged.
According to him, the incident was rooted in a power struggle within the church leadership, stemming from his insistence on questioning alleged constitutional forgery and financial mismanagement by the primate.
“I simply asked during the meeting: Which constitution is the church using? As soon as I asked that, the Primate lambasted me, shouted me down, and then gave the order that I should be dealt with. Police and his loyalists immediately descended on me,”Soneye recounted.
He named those who allegedly participated in the assault as“Primate Matilukuro Oludare; a policewoman named Kemi Komolafe, who mobilised officers; Barr. Kiribo Imabibo, who slapped me with his walking stick; Tosin Stowe; Bisi Bakola, who incited others to beat me, and Toke Akitoye.”
The PRO further alleged that police officers armed with rifles joined in beating him, dragging him to the back of the podium, where he was battered unconscious.
“One officer hit me with a baton on the head. The first time, I was dizzy. The second strike, I collapsed. I fainted immediately. While people tried rushing me to the hospital, police blocked the gate, saying I must die there,”he told SaharaReporters.
Soneye said he was only saved when church members protested and a bishop managed to drive him to a nearby hospital.
“The doctors said I was gone already. I was placed on oxygen for over three hours before they got a little pulse. They had to rush me again for a CT brain scan, where it was confirmed that I suffered a fracture,”he revealed, adding that he has since been receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Despite his critical condition, he claimed that Primate Oludare continued with the church meeting and even made a motion to suspend him from office.
“Somebody was dying in the hospital, and all he could do was push for my suspension. That shows clearly this was attempted murder,”Soneye declared.
He also accused the primate and his allies of embezzling church funds, forging the mission’s constitution, and using threats to silence dissent.
“They are selling church privileges, diverting funds from CCN, 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 a crisis and cover up his corruption,”he alleged.
The First African Church Mission, which Soneye noted has more than 1,000 parishes across Nigeria and the Benin Republic, is yet to issue an official response to the allegations. As of press time, neither the Nigerian Police nor Primate Oludare had released a statement.
But Soneye insists he will not be silenced.
“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 – this is attempted murder sanctioned by church leaders and executed with the help of the police,”he said.
