A Nigerian pastor and televangelist, Timothy Omotoso, is expected to leave South Africa today, Sunday, May 18,  marking the end of his lengthy legal ordeal that has lasted nearly ten years.

His deportation comes after he was acquitted of raping young women from his church, local media reported.

On May 10, Omotoso was said to have been re-arrested by immigration officials in East London after declaring him a prohibited person and his continued stay in the country unlawful.

Omotoso, founder of the Durban-based Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, was originally arrested in 2017.

His high-profile trial had drawn national attention and sparked widespread public outrage.

On Sunday, the 66-year-old televangelist was to leave Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport for Nigeria.

His deportation came just days after his prosecutors said they would reopen the case.

Last month, Omotoso was found not guilty on 32 charges, including rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking after spending eight years in jail.

The judge was reported as saying that the prosecutors mishandled the case, which drew some concern across South Africa.

The prosecutors, however, said they would appeal against his acquittal for rape and would investigate the team that handled the case.

The ICIR reports that Omotoso heads the JDI church, headquartered in the eastern South African coastal city of Durban.

The JDI has branches in Nigeria and Israel, according to the South African government.

On May 10, Omotoso was rearrested on immigration charges as the South African government said he was subject to deportation.

A magistrates’ court, however, ordered his release, ruling that he could not be detained for more than 48 hours without being charged.