Operatives from the Rivers State Police have taken into custody a 45-year-old Pastor of a new generation church known only as Lucky, for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in the Ihuaje community of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State.
Reports indicate that the cleric’s arrest was executed by members of a local security group called ‘ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee,’ under the leadership of Commander OSPAC.
According to reports, Precious Ihuruzu, the OSPAC Commander in Ahoada East LGA, led his team to the community after receiving information about the incident.
The suspect, who leads a branch of the church in the area, was subsequently handed over to the Ahoada Police Division.
In an interview with reporters, Dennis Otobo, a representative of the association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, recounted receiving a call from the gender desk of the State Ministry of Health regarding a child abuse case they needed him to investigate, which he agreed to do.
Otobo explained, “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 praised the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekeakita, OSPAC, and rights activist Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, for their efforts in ensuring the suspect’s apprehension.
As a gender advocate, he urged the police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the case and to charge the suspect in court if found guilty.
When reached for comment, State Police Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the pastor’s arrest, stating it was in response to a complaint of alleged defilement made by the girl’s parents.
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.”