A High Court in Calabar has sentenced self-proclaimed cleric and founder of The Refiner’s Fire Church, Apostle Favour Mexy Okoise, to life imprisonment for multiple cases of rape and deceit. The shocking judgment, delivered on June 16 and 17, 2025, has stirred outrage in Cross River State’s religious community.
Okoise, who hails from Esan West in Edo State, was found guilty in two separate court cases—HC-12C/2024 and HC-FC-5C/2024. The first case involved the rape of three women and obtaining by false pretenses. The second case focused on the rape of a 16-year-old girl.
According to legal reports, the cases were brought to court in 2023 by the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under the Cross River State Ministry of Justice, led by Okoi E. Ukam, Esq., and prosecuted by Cletus Adama, Esq.
Legal practitioner Doris Nduanusi, Esq., who represented the victims, said Okoise used religion to deceive and abuse his victims. “He told them it was a ‘rite of passage’ to be used by God, and called the act a ‘special dealing’ with the Holy Spirit,” she said.
The case also received strong support from a civil society group, Gender and Development Action (GADA), led by Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo. According to Nduanusi, “It was a joint effort that gave the victims strength to speak out and seek justice.”
Even after his arrest in February 2024, church members were told he was “on the mountain praying” for them. “Some members only discovered the truth after the court ruling,” Nduanusi revealed.
Throughout the trial, Okoise showed no remorse, a fact noted by the presiding judge. “He was unrepentant and manipulative,” the court observed in its final ruling.
Concerns are now growing as the church is reportedly still operating secretly at a new location in the Nassarawa area of Calabar, despite Okoise’s conviction.
Nduanusi is calling for urgent action. “The government must step in to dismantle the system that allowed this abuse to happen. People are still at risk,” she warned.
There are also claims that some senior pastors continued to associate with the church even after knowing about the allegations. It remains unclear whether The Refiner’s Fire Church is officially registered with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), though suspected links exist.
The Cross River State Ministry of Justice says it remains committed to upholding justice. In the first half of 2025 alone, it has secured convictions in serious cases such as armed robbery, rape, kidnapping, and arson.
