A 45-year-old pastor of one of the churches in Rivers State, identified as Lucky, has been arrested by the operatives of the Rivers State police command for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in the Ihuaje community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
Community source told Daily Trust that the accused pastor was arrested by members of a local security outfit in the area, popularly called ‘ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee’ (OSPAC).
It was gathered that the Commander of OSPAC in Ahoada East LGA, Precious Ihuruzu, had led his men to the community on the tip off by the public-spirited individuals, arrested the suspect and handed him over to the Ahoada Police division.
A member of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Rivers State, Mr Dennis Otobo, while speaking on the incident, said he had received a call from the gender desk of the State Ministry of Health about a case of child abuse which they wanted him to follow up.
He commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of the area, Hector Ekeakita, the OSPAC and a rights activist, Prince Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, for their various roles in ensuring the suspect’s arrest.
The gender advocate also called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and if found culpable, the suspect should be charged in court for prosecution.
He said: “In the course of my investigation, I got to know that one Pastor Lucky, has been having sexual affairs with a 10-year-old girl in his care.
“This got to the knowledge of the parents. When the parents visited her on that Saturday at the Pastor’s house, the girl now informed them of what she had been going through. That anytime he had affairs 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 Divisional Police Officer for assistance and arrest. It was in the evening that the DPO told me that they should come on Sunday and that he was going to handle the case professionally. Truly, he did that because, as we are talking, the man is in Ahoada Police station, Ahoada East.”
Police spokesperson in Rivers State, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the pastor’s arrest, said the arrest was after a complaint of alleged defilement by the parents of the girl.
