In the latest incidence of sexual abuse by a church leader, Pastor Bernard from Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, raped the teenager while performing deliverance on her. Sani Mohammed, the Nasarawa State police commissioner, said the suspect was apprehended following a report by the victim's father Martins Ijiwo.
According to the police, the cleric, who lives in the Alikima Mararaba area of the state, lured the victim into his house under the pretext of casting out demons from her. Confessing to the crime, the pastor described the incident as the handiwork of the devil.
According to the police, the cleric allegedly pushed her to his bed and raped her repeatedly and then threatened to kill the girl if she reported the incident to any member of her family. However, when the father of the girl learnt of the incident, he reported the matter to the police, who subsequently stormed the pastor’s home and arrested him.
During the raid, policemen also recovered bottles of anointing oil from the suspect’s home as well as a bedspread. Following his arrest, the pastor said that he did not know what came over him when he committed the crime.
Police commissioner Mohammed said: “The pastor took advantage of his closeness to the girl’s family, who are members of his congregation, to rape their 13-year-old daughter under the guise of casting out demons from her.”
Pastor Bernard added: “I had been into evangelism for some years now and I have been casting out demons from people who have spiritual and family problems before I met this young girl through her father, Martins Ijiwo. I used my anointing oil to lure her into my room and all of a sudden, I was carried away and before I knew what was happening, I saw myself making love to her.”
He is expected to be charged to court under Nigeria's new Sexual Offences Law. Passed in June during the last sitting of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the law prescribes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of child sex tourism or gang rape, 10 years for incest, child pornography and a fine of N2m for a range of other sexual offences.
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