Nigerian Gospel singer "Testimony Jaga" allegedly assaulted a married woman

 

Testimony Jaga

A Lagos-based wife and mother Mrs Abimbola Agbede has demanded justice over an alleged physical assault by a Nigerian Gospel singer Salau Aliu Olayiwola, aka Testimony Jaga and his loyalists on January 17, 2023 in Agbado Local Council Development Area (LCDA). Mrs Agbede Abimbola alleged that the singer poured urine and water on her after she accused him of obstructing vehicular movement in the estate.

The victim, Mrs. Abimbola, told Vanguard that her trouble with him started after she invited her friend to deliver frozen foods to her in preparation for her son’s 15th birthday, last week.

According to her, when I confronted him over the way the whole streets are blocked during his church sessions, he unleashed his church boys on me and I was beaten and bathed in urine.

Mrs. Abimbola said she was still on the ground after being beaten when water was poured on her and also urine which splashed on some of the neighbors who tried to help her get up. “Jaga walked up to me and said it was women like me that would molest me. Immediately he said that with little strength left in me, I was about holding his clothes when he moved back and my hand grabbed his necklace. He stepped back further while my hand was at the chain and the chain cut. Immediately, his members took the chain from me.

“Jaga told his members not to let me go until I provide the chain. They also descended on my friend Agnes and held her on the ground. After the confrontation, we reported he case to the police.

Recounting the incident, Mrs. Abimbola’s friend, who gave her name as Agnes John narrated that when she entered the street, the road was blocked. “I was honking so that I could drive in; no one was ready to move. So, someone walked up to me and said that they were holding a programme and I should pack my car.

“I parked, locked my car and walked to my friend’s house to inform her that I could not drive in because a programme was being held on the road and she would need to go and get the frozen foods from the car herself.   She told me it must be Jaga because he holds his street gospel movement every Tuesday. So, I went along with her to the car to pack the frozen foods. It was while we were going that we met Jaga on the road and because I don’t know him, my friend pointed at him, showing me that it was him.

“Immediately, I called his attention. I thought he would walk out of the crowd to answer me but he said I should come, which I did. I told him whenever he is holding his programme he should create a space for others because we all are road users and it won’t be nice for him to disturb others with his programme.  While I was leaving, I heard noise and when I turned back, I saw my friend on the ground with a crowd descending on her. I had to call people nearby to join them in the commotion and in the process of explaining to them what happened, the police arrived with their patrol vehicle and took me  and my friend away for interrogation, leaving Jaga behind.

 Jaga, a musician with Christ Embassy Church, who runs a weekly fellowship in the area where he distributes empowerment items. Notwithstanding, Mr Jaga dismissed the allegation, claiming it was the woman who slapped him. He said his fellowship members beat up the woman in his defence.

About five hours after the incident, Jaja sent a voice note to the WhatsApp platform of the Community Development Area (CDA) that hosts many residents. In the now-deleted voice note obtained by The Nation, the singer said: 

“Good evening, Good afternoon everyone, I’m sending this voice note because I want you all, everybody here, my mothers, my fathers, all my mothers in this platform and I know I have mothers and fathers here, people that can give birth to me, brothers here, this message is for Mr. Agbede, whatever name they call you, you’ve done a lot of stuff I don’t want to talk about. I’ve been keeping my cool, your wife walked up to me in the midst of my people and slapped me, cut my chain of N3.5million, my gold chain.