Edith CHUKU
A pastor whose name was given simply as Mr. Lucky is in the custody of the Rivers State Police command for allegedly defiling a 10-year old girl.
Lucky was apprehended on Tuesday, by the Organized Security Planning and Advisory Committee, OSPAC, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state, under the supervision of the Chief Security Officer of the council, Mr Hector Ekeakite.
The incident involving the pastor who is said to a pastoring one of Nigeria’s largest pentecostal churches with national headquarters in Lagos, happened in Ihuaje community in Ahoada East LGA.
It was revealed that the OSPAC commander in Ahoada East LGA, Precious Ihuruzu, led his men to Ihuaje community on Tuesday afternoon where the pastor who is incharge of a branch of the pentecostal church in the community was arrested and handed over to Ahoada Police Division.
In an interview with Journalists, a member of the association against child, sexual and gender based violence, Mr Dennis Otobo, explained that “on Saturday, I got a call from the gender desk officer of ministry of health that she had reported a case of child abuse in Ahoada East and she want me to follow up, which I did.
“In the course of my investigation, I got to know that one Pastor Lucky(surname withheld) who is also proprietor of a group of schools (private) in Ihuaje community in Ahoada East has been having sexual affairs with a ten year old girl under his custody.
“This got to the knowledge of the parents when the parents visited her on that Saturday in the(pastor’s) house and the girl now informed them of what she has been going through.”
Otobo noted that, “anytime he had affairs with her he will give her 500 naira to keep quiet. Her parents immediately took the girl to the hospital where they did preliminary investigation.
“On that level, I decided to call the DPO for assistance and arrest. It was on Saturday evening, the DPO told me that they should come on Sunday that he is going to handle the case professionally and truly he did that because as we are talking, the suspect is in Ahoada Police Station in Ahoada East.”
He commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, and rights activist, Mr Prince Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights for their various roles in ensuring arrest of the pastor.
The Gender advocate called on the Police to do a thorough investigation while stating that if the suspect is found culpable, he should be taken to court for diligent prosecution.
Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe Koko, confirmed the arrest of the pastor on compliant of alleged defilement by parents of the child adding that investigation is ongoing.
