Who is Apollo Quiboloy? Charges explored as celebrity pastor is arrested after FBI search

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who was wanted by both the FBI and local law enforcement of the Philippines has now been arrested on charges of s*xual abuse, forced s*x trafficking of minors, fraud, cash smuggling and coercion. As per BBC, Apollo Quiboloy was wanted by the governments of two countries, the Philippines and the USA.

The pastor, who claimed to be the “appointed son of god” was arrested on Sunday, September 8, 2024. The arrest also ended the two-week standoff between Apollo Quiboloy’s followers and the police. The police raided the pastor’s 75-acre compound in Davai, which is managed by his church, which is called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ AKA KOJC.

The arrest took place years after the US Department of Justice charged him with s*x trafficking, fraud, cash smuggling, and abuse in 2021. Furthermore, the FBI alleged that the pastor trafficked women from the Phillippines to the US and has been reportedly earning millions from this illegal activity.

PNA reported that the pastor was transported to the National Police Headquarters in Manila on Sunday night after his arrest in Davao. At the same time, his four right-hand men were also arrested with him. However, the publication also reported that the pastor has denied all the allegations against him.

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Thousands of Apollo Quiboloy’s followers clashed with the police killing allegedly one supporter during the operation: More details revealed

The raid to arrest Apollo and five of his aides began two weeks ago in Davao. CNN reported that as the police attempted to arrest the pastor, more than 2,000 police officers were deployed outside the church compound, as the authorities were tipped that the pastor was inside the church.

However, the police officers reportedly met with a violent attack by Apollo Quiboloy’s followers who threw stones at the policemen. Furthermore, the followers of the pastor allegedly also burned tyres and blocked the highway so that the authorities would not arrest Apollo and his aides. However, one supporter reportedly ended up losing his life in the clash on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

Furthermore, after the arrest of the pastor, Director of Police Regional Office 11, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III issued a statement to PNA and said:

“I thank him Quiboloy for the realization to face the law. I also thanked the KOJC members and supporters for their cooperation and I hope this is the start of healing.”

Thereafter, the President of Phillippines also released a statement claiming how the arrest had been a “relief.” Marcos Jr. said:

“Although he is a very prominent person… we will treat him like any other arrested person and will respect his rights. We will go through the process. The process will be transparent. Everyone who is involved will be accountable.”

As per BBC, Pastor Apollo has close to seven million followers, which also include prominent politicians of the country, and a few celebrities too. However, the attorney of the pastor, Israelito Torreon claimed that his client, Apollo Quiboloy did not accept any of the wrongdoings, and had “surrendered” only “because he does not want the lawless violence to continue to happen".

On the other hand, the world of social media has been left in a state of shock as BBC reported that Apollo often asked his female assistants, often called “pastorals” to indulge in explicit activities with him. However, a group of netizens are currently discussing the charges, with some expressing their support for the pastor.