Ogun State Police Command has arrested the general overseer of The Beloved Chapel, Israel Adebayo, for allegedly raping a 14-year-old chorister of his church at Agbado, in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state.
The command spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the 38-year-old pastor was arrested following a complaint by the victim’s mother.
According to him, the victim’s mother initially refused to report the incident, which occurred in October 2021, to the police because she did not want to offend the cleric.
Oyeyemi said the mother, however, changed her mind and called the police because her daughter continued to bleeding from her private part since the incident.
The police spokesman added that the cleric confessed to committing the crime and that the victim is currently receiving treatment in a hospital over vaginal bleeding.
He said, “The pastor, who is the General Overseer of The Beloved Chapel situated at No 9, Iyaniwura street, off Owonikoko street, Agbado area of Ogun State, was arrested following a complaint lodged at Agbado divisional headquarters by the mother of the victim.
“She reported that while she traveled to treat herself of a certain ailment, her daughter who happened to be a choir member in their church went to church and the pastor lured her into his room and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
“Upon the report, the DPO, Agbado division, detailed his detectives to the scene where the pastor was promptly arrested. On interrogation, the pastor, who admitted defiling the victim, pleaded for forgiveness.
“According to him, his family and that of the victim are so close and he didn’t know how and why such a thing happened to him.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect would have been arrested long ago, but the mother of the victim frustrated the move because she doesn’t want to offend her pastor.
“But when the victim is continuously bleeding from her private part since the incident, which happened in October 2021, she was left with no other option than to allow police to come into the matter. The victim claimed that the pastor was the first person to sleep. She is currently recuperating in a hospital.”
Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.
This comes a few days after the police arrested a 48-year-old pastor, Michael Abiodun, who defiled and impregnated a 12-year-old member of his church at Owode Egba in Obafemi-Owode LGA
Isau Ogunkunle has secured a bronze medal for Team Nigeria in the men’s para-table tennis…
Heidi Korth, the estranged wife of Sina Rambo, the son of Osun State Governor Ademola…
Nigeria’s Flora Ugwunwa has won a silver medal in the women’s Javelin F54 event at…
British-Nigerian actress, Laura Lake Adebisi has sparked controversy by stating that Nigeria should never have…
Nigerian talent manager, Paulo Okoye has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, billionaire Aliko Dangote, and…
Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, has announced…