The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed that a pastor whose name was given simply as Mr. Lucky is in their custody for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl.
It was learnt that Lucky was apprehended on Tuesday by operatives of the Organized Security Planning and Advisory Committee in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
The pastor is said to be pastoring the branch of one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal churches with national headquarters in Lagos.
It was further gathered that the OSPAC commander in Ahoada East Local Government Area, Precious Ihuruzu, led his men to Ihuaje community where the crime was committed on Tuesday, arrested the pastor and handed him over to the Ahoada Police Division.
In an interview with journalists, a member of the Association Against Child, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Mr. Dennis Otobo, explained that he got a call on Saturday from the gender desk officer of the state Ministry of Health that she had reported a case of child abuse in Ahoada East and she wanted him to follow up.
“In the course of my investigation, I got to know that one Pastor Lucky (surname withheld), who is also proprietor of a group of schools (private) in Ihuaje community in Ahoada East has been having sexual affairs with a 10-year-old girl under his custody.
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“This got to the knowledge of the parents when the parents visited her on that Saturday in the pastor’s house, and the girl now informed them of what she had been going through.”
According to Otobo, the girl narrated that anytime the pastor had an affair 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 police for assistance and arrest. As we are talking, the suspect is in Ahoada Police Station in Ahoada East,” Otobo narrated.
Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the arrest of the pastor, said that investigations are ongoing.