The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Tuesday, granted fresh bail to an Abuja pastor accused of raping a 14-year-old.
The court granted the 39-year-old founder and General Overseer of Prophetic Voice of Fire Ministry International, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Amos Isah, bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties, among other terms and conditions.
The terms and conditions of the bail imposed by Judge Modupe Osho-Adebiyi are stiffer than those attached to a previous bail granted the defendant last year by the former trial judge in the Maitama division of the court.
Ms Osho-Adebiyi ruled that the sureties must be “responsible…heads of religious organisations, particularly Pentecostal churches,” and must present tax clearance, the judge said.
She ordered that court officials would have to verify the church buildings of the sureties and their residences. The judge also ordered that Mr Isah submit his passport to the court.
In contrast, the former trial judge, Enobie Obanor, granted Mr Isah bail, last year, in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties in like sum. The judge only ordered that the sureties must be civil servants not below grade 12 and be resident within the Federal Capital Territory.
Mr Isah was absent from Tuesday’s proceedings, with his lawyer informing the judge that he was in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the bail hearing.
Giving reasons for the fresh bail conditions, Ms Osho-Adebiyi said the case has eight counts instead of the just four counts charged in the case before the previous judge
“The charge before the court is an eight-count charge with one for life imprisonment,” if convicted, the judge said.
In June 2025, the police arrested Mr Isah, then arraigned him on four charges of rape on 22 July 2025 before the Maitama division of the FCT High Court.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, then the case went dormant.
Following an application from the prosecution lawyer, Aderonke Imana, the case was reassigned from the FCT High Court in Maitama to Ms Osho-Adebiyi, in the Gwarinpa division of the court, on 11 March.
On 21 April, the matter came up before Ms Osho-Adebiyi. However, the defendant did not appear in court.
On 14 May, the police arraigned Mr Amos, who pleaded not guilty to the amended eight counts of child rape and related offences, including child abduction, sexual exploitation and abuse.
The judge then ordered his remand in Kuje Correctional Centre. The full details of the new charges are here.
Ms Osho-Adebiyi turned down the request from Mr Isah’s lawyer, O.U. Sule, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), for the defendant’s release on the terms and conditions of the bail previously granted him by the former trial judge.
Ms Osho-Adebiyi said she could not release the defendant because the record of the previous bail and sureties was not before her.
On Tuesday, the defence lawyer informed the court of the bail application alongside the previous ruling, Mr Isah’s medical report and the legal argument for bail.
Mr Sule said the prosecution served him a counter-affidavit opposing the bail application. But he argued that the counter-affidavit “is out of time,” because he served his affidavit on 15 May, but the prosecution only responded on 26 May (today).
However, the judge disagreed with his argument, saying, “I cannot discountenance it for being out of time.” She noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) did not give a clear time for the prosecution to serve its counter-affidavit.
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