The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has arrested a 48-year-old pastor in Abuja for alleged rape and sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old orphan.
NAPTIP’s Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, Stella Nezan, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Nezan alleged that the suspect, a pastor in the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church (MFM), Gwarinpa branch, impregnated his victim in the process, NAN reports.
She said that the suspect, who volunteered to provide shelter for the girl and deliver her from evil spirit after she had been accused of witchcraft, took advantage of the situation.
“NAPTIP operatives effected arrest of one pastor with MFM in Gwarimpa, Abuja, for rape, sexual molestation and impregnating a 16-year-old orphan.
“The suspect from Nsukka in Enugu State, was said to have volunteered to provide shelter and also conduct deliverance on the girl after she lost her parents and was accused of witchcraft.
“But he took advantage of the vulnerability of the innocent girl and repeatedly devoured her sexually,” she said.
Nezan said that the victim, a Junior Secondary School (JSS) student in Abuja had lived with the pastor, a widower, and his daughter for sometimes before the sexual exploitation started.
The suspect was said to have confessed to committing the crimes “only twice” and blamed it on the devil.
“The victim, a JSS2 student of one of the government schools in Abuja, suddenly dropped out of school and was in dire need of accommodation shortly after the death of her parents in 2018.
“Investigation revealed that the pastor was living with his daughter in the same compound with the victim’s deceased parents in Karmo, a suburb of Abuja, and volunteered to assist her in her education.
“According to the victim, after the first year of their living together, the pastor started making love advances toward her, an action she constantly resisted.
“She narrated that the first time the pastor raped her was in March, after her birthday outing,” Nezan said.
She added that the pastor continued to rape her afterwards and it resulted in pregnancy.
“During interrogation, the pastor confessed to sexually abusing the girl only twice and attributing the evil act to the devil,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Director General of NAPTIP, Ms Julie Okah-Donli, has described the action of the suspect as the highest form of wickedness against a fellow human being.
Okah-Donli promised that the case would be diligently prosecuted in order to secure justice for the victim.
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