Sex scandal: Pastor Chris Okafor steps down from pastoral duties, to seek spiritual renewal

The Senior Pastor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Chris Okafor, who is facing multiple sexual allegations against him has stepped down from pastoral duties amid growing outrage.

Penpushing reports that it would be recalled that the clergyman had last Sunday publicly apologised to an actress, Doris Ogala, during a service at his church, where he knelt on the pulpit, admitted to past mistakes, and sought forgiveness.

The stepping down of Okafor was made known by a senior executive of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), said to be close to him, adding that there are more things to be done in terms of disciplinary actions

Penpushing further reports that a source explained that the festive period had slowed down deliberations within the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on the scandal, as meetings could not be convened to formally discuss the matter.

“There are more things to be done in terms of disciplinary actions, Meetings could not be held to deliberate on actions against him (Okafor). But from the pressure from some of the leaders in the body of Christ, he has stepped down for a month. I believe that before the month ends, some decisions would have been made concerning him’, the official stated.

Penpushing also reports that the official when asked if the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) would investigate the allegations against Okafor said he was not sure if it was responsibility of the body to do that

“I don’t think it is the PFN that should do that. We are not the police, nor are we a law enforcement agency. If there is an allegation of rape against a pastor, it is not the PFN that should investigate it. I want Nigerians to get this right: even if we do any form of inquiry, we cannot arrest anyone. This is a criminal case, and the government should step in’, he said.

“However, this does not mean that PFN does not act in situations like this. What PFN or the body of Christ can do is what we call spiritual pressure and discipline; there are other areas where the police should investigate. PFN does not have the statutory power to investigate or arrest when it comes to criminal allegations’.

Penpushing reports that he added that although Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) was engaging the issue quietly, stressing that its actions should not be misconstrued as a formal investigation.

“On Pastor Okafor’s matter, there are a lot of things PFN is doing behind the scenes, but I don’t want to call these things an investigation. It is not for public consumption for now. His stepping down is part of the action that PFN and the body of Christ pressured him to take’.

“When we saw the enormity of the allegations, and it was already looking like a criminal matter, we had to step in and do our part, but the government also has to play its role,” the source added.

Penpushing further reports that Okafor during his sermon at the church’s New Year crossover service on Wednesday night, however, said his decision to step down was for spiritual renewal and time for personal retreat with God.

“I will be resting. It would be time for personal retreat with God and time for me and my wife to rest. Since our wedding, we have not rested. We have not had time. We have not even done our honeymoon. So, we are stepping aside to pray, to have a retreat and to rest from this January, and to return better and stronger from the presence of the Lord’, he stated

Penpushing also reports that the cleric explained to his congregation the break, which he pointed out did not mean he would be totally absent from church activities, would last until February.

The sexual scandal against Okafor follows his wedding to a new bride, identified simply as Pearl, on December 16, 2025, and attended by prominent clerics, having gone ahead with the ceremony despite Ogala’s viral accusations of betrayal, emotional manipulation and reneging on a promise of marriage after a long-term relationship.

Penpushing reports that in the clips, Ogala accused the pastor of having sexual relationship with her, which allegedly began in 2017 and lasted for nine years, adding that he (Okafor) promised her marriage many times before marrying another woman in December 2025.

The actress said the pastor contributed to the breakdown of her previous marriage and caused her emotional distress and financial loss, and equally shared some bedroom photos and screenshots of conversations, with videos claiming the pastor sent her $10,000 to retract her statements and claim that a rival pastor orchestrated the accusations.

Penpushing further reports that Ogala later demanded N1billion in damages via a legal notice filed through her legal team, alleging threats and intimidation after she was arrested and detained by the police.

The allegations escalated on social media in recent weeks, with more women coming forward with different narrations, of their bitter experiences with the clergyman which include sexual misconduct, manipulation, infidelity and related issues against the pastor.

Penpushing also reports that one of them was his former wife, Bessem Okafor, who accused Okafor of infidelity, deception and physical assault, adding that she left the cleric 14 years ago due to the shame from his alleged actions.

There was another former member of Okafor’s church identified as Ebere, who accused Okafor of having secret affairs with her, adding that her relationship with the pastor started around 2015 and lasted for many years, during which she allegedly had four abortions for him.

Penpushing reports that Ebere claimed the pastor promised her marriage multiple times but backed out, adding that she eventually kept one pregnancy for him, which resulted in a child.

The Instagram video of another woman surface thereafter, with a fresh allegation against Okafor, where the woman accused the pastor of having sexual relations with her and her sister, which she said resulted in pregnancies.

Penpushing further reports that she claimed that the children involved resembled the pastor, calling for a DNA test to confirm her claims and insisting that she had evidence to support her allegations.

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