A Customary Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced the General Overseer of the Refiners Fire Global Assembly, Pastor Favour Okoise, to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl.
Okoise raped the victim whom he calls his “spiritual daughter” between November and December 2016, in Calabar South Local Government Area of the state.
The pastor was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday, at the Family Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Blessing Obin.
The rape victim came to Calabar in August 2016 for her post-UTME examination and lived with her elder sister at Goldie Street, where the convict visited frequently to share spiritual knowledge.
According to the victim, Pastor Okoise harassed her sexually and touched her sensitive parts on several occasions during such visits.
She said that after numerous attempts to have intercourse with her proved abortive, the convict indoctrinated her that “God needed her body as much as her spirit and soul.”
The victim narrated that the pastor told her that he would transfer spiritual virtues to her through intercourse as her “spiritual father,” to help her render services to God.
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Delivering her verdict, Justice Obin, stated that after an examination of the exhibits and facts presented before the court, the defendant had unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim.
Citing the Cross River State Child Protection Law, 2003, she pronounced that “accordingly, Favour Okoise has been sentenced to life imprisonment and a compensation of N1million is awarded to the survivor.”
Speaking shortly after the judgement, the Programme Officer, Legal, Training and Justice Sector of Gender and Development Action (GADA), Asibong Asi, said the judgment of the court will stand as a warning to those who are engaged in sexually abusing minors.
Also, Doris Nduanusi, one of the prosecuting counsels and lawyer to GADA, said more action is needed to dissuade persons who sexually abuse minors.
She said that “we need more voices to be heard to let the society know that these kinds of ills that are happening can be stopped and there are punishments for such actions.”