The Rivers State Police Command has detained a pastor on suspicion of defiling and impregnating a child in the state.
The incident, which occurred in the oil-rich state’s Ndele town of Emohua Local Government Area, involves a 45-year-old pastor of a new generation church called Gracious Covenant Church. Amesi ThankGod, the teenager’s in-law, filed a complaint against the preacher, simply known as Piler Erekwa.
According to Mr. ThankGod, both the teenager and her mother were members of the pastor’s church, and the young girl is known to go the church on a regular basis, especially when her mother leaves home for the farm.
“If her mother goes to the farm, the girl normally goes to the church to relax and returns in the evening.
“Then in the last few days, the girl started vomiting. My wife who is her elder sister took her for a medical examination. The result shows she is pregnant”.
Mr. ThankGod also claimed that Pastor Erekwa has threatened the young girl’s life for exposing him.
Speaking further, he said his wife took her to confront the pastor who reluctantly affirmed being the one responsible for her pregnancy, but pleaded with the girl to get rid of the pregnancy.
“He said they should give her some drugs to flush the pregnancy so that the girl will be free, but if we allow that, she may die and we have ourselves to blame”. He said.
The matter was reported to the Emohua Vigilante Society (EMOVIS) who picked up pastor Pillar and handed him over to the Rumuji Police Division.
When contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident saying “Yes we are aware of the incident. The suspect is in our custody and investigations are still ongoing” she said.