Police arrest popular pastor for raping 10-year-old girl in Rivers

Police arrest popular pastor for raping 10-year-old girl in Rivers

Operatives of Rivers State Police have apprehended a 45-year-old pastor, identified as Lucky, from a new-generation church for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in the Ihuaje community, Ahoada East Local Government Area.

The arrest was reportedly carried out by members of a local security outfit, formerly known as the ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee, under the leadership of its commander, OSPAC.

Commander Precious Ihuruzu of OSPAC in Ahoada East LGA led his team to the community after receiving reports of the incident.

The suspect, who is the pastor of a branch of the church in the area and handed over to the Ahoada Police Division.

Speaking to newsmen on the incident, a member of the association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Dennis Otobo, said he had received a call from the gender desk of the State Ministry of Health about a case of child abuse which they wanted him to follow up; which he obliged.

Otobo added, “In the course of my investigation, I got to know that one Pastor Lucky (surname withheld), who is also the proprietor of a group of schools (private) in Ihuaje community in Ahoada East, has been having sexual affairs with a 10-year-old girl in his care.

“This got to the knowledge of the parents. When the parents visited her on that Saturday at the Pastor’s house, the girl now informed them of what she had been going through. That anytime he had affairs with her, he would give her N500 to keep quiet.

“Her parents immediately took the girl to the hospital, where they did a preliminary investigation.

“On that level, I decided to call the Divisional Police Officer for assistance and arrest. It was in the evening that the DPO told me that they should come on Sunday and that he was going to handle the case professionally. Truly, he did that because, as we are talking, the man (pastor) is in Ahoada Police station, Ahoada East.”

Otobo commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekeakita, the OSPAC and a rights activist, Prince Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, for their various roles in ensuring the suspect’s arrest.

The gender advocate, therefore, called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and if found culpable, the suspect should be charged in court for prosecution.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the pastor’s arrest, saying it followed a complaint of alleged defilement by the parents of the tween girl.

Grace Iringe-Koko stated, “Yes, I can confirm his arrest. The Pastor is with us here in the Command. We received a complaint from the parents of the girl and our men working with a local vigilante there arrested him. Investigations are ongoing.”

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