Over a 20-year period, Michael Oluronbi, 60, assaulted six girls and a boy, believing the baths were warding off evil.
His wife Juliana Oluronbi was jailed for 11 years, arranging abortions for four pregnant girls. The couple have been
found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court by judges after a jury in January. A judge said self-styled prophet Michael
Oluronbi carried out “one of the worst cases of sexual abuse” against children to come to court. Oluronbi was
convicted of 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault at a trial that ended
in January.
The court was told there were at least 88 separate occasions on which he raped his victims, who are now adults.
Some offences were carried out after he convinced some of his victims to take part in “spiritual bathing”, which he
said would “cleanse” them of evil spirits.
Birmingham Crown Court in central England was told some of his young female victims became pregnant several
times.
His wife, Juliana, 58, was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of aiding and abetting rape after
helping arrange some of the terminations.
Judge Sarah Buckingham called Oluronbi “arrogant, selfish and vain”, adding: “You abused your position of trust.
“They (his victims) trusted you like God…. In my judgment, your offending must be one of the worst cases of sexual
abuse of multiple children to come before the courts.”
Oluronbi, described by his victims as “controlling”, was arrested when one of those he abused came forward. He was
detained by police last year at Birmingham airport on his way to Nigeria.
When asked about the offences, which took place in Birmingham and London dating back to the 1980s, the court
was told he said: “The devil made me do it.”
The court was told Oluronbi was linked to a Birmingham branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, which was
founded in Nigeria.
He set up a splinter group separate from the church and at another address for about 40 adults and children, where
he began his practice of “spiritual bathing”, jurors heard.
Evangelical churches are hugely popular in Nigeria, predominately in the Christian south.