A 14-year old girl was indecently assaulted and defiled during a church programme after the Pastor allegedly took her to his visitors room and engaged her in sex under the false pretence of delivering her from evil spirits.
The incident happened at Akodo area of Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, where the church is located.
The cleric, Pastor Sunday Olugbeje, has been arrested for defilement.
Apart from defiling her by penetration, Pastor Olugbeje reportedly instilled fear in her, ordered her to go and throw her pants and clothes, which she wore during the sex romp inside the sea for spiritual deliverance.
The girl, having been shocked by the nasty experience and was unable to bear it, then informed her parents about what happened after the Pastor took her out of the church for special deliverance.
The ugly incident was reported to the Police at State Criminal Investigation Department at Yaba, Lagos; Pastor Olugbeje was arrested and detained for interrogation over the conduct.
During interrogation, he reportedly admitted to have embarked on such deliverance as the ‘spirit’ directed him and had since realised that he was misled by an evil spirit during the church service.
The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Yaba Magistrates Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty before the Court.
However, when he was arraigned, the Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P. E. Nwaka, ordered the defendant to be remanded in the Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
