Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have arrested a pastor of Mountain of Fire and Miracle church (MFM), David Onyekachuku, for allegedly raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl.
NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations Unit NAPTIP who announced the incident in a statement said the victim, Stella Nezan is an orphan.
She said the victim, a Junior Secondary School (JSS2) pupil of a government school in Abuja, suddenly dropped out of school and needed accommodation after the death of her parents last year.
The statement reads: “Operatives of NAPTIP have arrested a 48-year-old pastor with the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church (MFM), Gwaripa branch, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for alleged rape and sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old orphan and impregnating her in the process.
“The suspect, David Onyekachuku, from Nsukka, Southeast of Nigeria, was said to have volunteered to provide shelter and conduct deliverance on the girl after she was accused of witchcraft, but (he) thereafter took advantage of the vulnerability of the innocent girl and devoured her sexually repeatedly.
“The victim, a Junior Secondary School (JSS II) pupil of a government school in Abuja, suddenly dropped out of school and was in dire need of accommodation following the death of her parents in 2018.”
Investigation revealed that the pastor, who lost his wife few years ago, was then leaving with the woman’s daughter in the same compound with the deceased’s parents in Karmo community in the suburb of Abuja.
He volunteered to harbour her and assist her in her education to make her comfortable.
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, this year, during her birthday. She explained that the man had taken her and his daughter out on the birthday celebration to some relaxation centres in Abuja. According to her, in the evening, after the pastor’s daughter had gone to bed, he approached her and pounced on her, ignoring all her pleas for mercy.
“It was gathered that the pastor had since continued to rape her at will, resulting in pregnancy. During interrogation, the pastor confessed to have sexually abused the girl only twice and attributing the evil act to the work of the devil.
“He stated that he actually took the girl in to conduct deliverance for her and also enrol her in school, having missed school for about two years.
“After the deliverance, she has no place to stay. I then took her to live with me and my daughter.”
Reacting to the incident, NAPTIP’s Director General, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, described the action of the man as the highest form of wickedness against a fellow human being, considering the fact that the victim was vulnerable and helpless orphan.
“I am deeply sad and disappointed by the action of this man who, ordinarily, ought to have provided hope for the girl, by virtue of his position as a cleric. Rather than doing what is biblically expected of him in line with his calling, he abused his position and preyed on the very victim he supposed to protect.
“Arising from the increased cases of rapes and sexual abuses of female children and even male across the country, I have directed massive sensitisation of men across the country to arrest the situation. This prevailing evil act must stop.”
