Pastor Michael Oluronbi
By Fasanmi Abiola
A Nigerian pastor based in the UK, Michael Oluronbi, alongside his wife Juliana Oluronbi have been sentenced to jail following Oluronbi’s conviction for sexual offenses against members of his congregation.
According to mail online, over the span of two decades, Oluronbi exploited children and adults by persuading them to participate in spiritual bathing to rid them of evil spirits.
Oluronbi received a 34-year jail term for multiple counts of rape against members of his church, totaling fifteen counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault across at least 88 separate occasions.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that several victims became pregnant multiple times, with Oluronbi coercing them into undergoing abortions to conceal the abuse.
Juliana was sentenced to 11 years in prison for aiding and abetting rape, as she facilitated abortions for the victims.
Both defendants are required to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Oluronbi was associated with a Christian Church in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, originating from Nigeria.
He established his own splinter group at another location, introducing the concept of spiritual bathing.
Describing Oluronbi as arrogant, Judge Buckingham emphasized the severe impact of his crimes on the victims, stating that his actions represented one of the worst cases of sexual abuse of multiple children to come before the courts.
When confronted, Oluronbi attributed his actions to the devil.
Phil Bradley QC, prosecuting, outlined Oluronbi’s use of spiritual work as a guise for sexual abuse, asserting that his victims were subjected to repeated rapes and unwanted pregnancies leading to terminations.
He said, “The Crown’s case is that Mr Oluronbi used what he called ‘spiritual work’ as a subterfuge for that sexual abuse. The main tactic he employed was to claim that God had instructed him to administer ‘holy baths’ to some of his congregation in order to ‘cleanse’ them and protect them from evil influences. That activity began when his victims were children. There can be no doubt that its real purpose was to serve his sexual gratification.”
However, the victims described Oluronbi as controlling and likened him to almost like a king.
Oluronbi was apprehended in May 2023 at Birmingham Airport while attempting to flee the UK for Nigeria.
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