Police in Lagos have arrested a pastor, one Chris Macdouglas Omosekpa, over allegations that he defiled several vulnerable members of his church.
Omosekpa, founder of Peculiar Generation Assembly, Awoyaya in the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state, was arrested on Sunday.
The cleric was last year arraigned before an Ogba Magistrate’s Court after one of his alleged victims’ filed a complaint at the Makinde Police Station, Mafoluku.
His arraignment followed the attempted suicide of one of his alleged victims, who claimed that he had been raping her.
The teenager was reportedly rescued and counselled.
The pastor was remanded in police custody but his lawyer later prayed the court for bail allegedly on grounds that the suspect had COVID-19 and Tuberculosis, which was granted.
But while on bail, the suspect allegedly did not appear in court for his trial despite warnings of a possible bench warrant. It was alleged that his lawyer kept making excuses for him, the last being on July 13, when he allegedly claimed the cleric was on life support at Akodo Medical Centre, a plea the court rejected and issued a warrant for his arrest.
A rights group, Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), said it was discovered that the said medical centre did not have life support facility, neither was the suspect on admission there.
ACVPN’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ebenezer Omejalile, said they had information that the suspect was planning to flee the country.
The group alleged that the cleric sexually assaulted women in the church using false prophecy
“He also mocked (his victims) whenever he conducted what he termed as holy ghost service, and threatened some of them with fake wrath of God if they dared speak out,” Omejalile alleged.
It was also claimed that the suspect evaded arrest and even sold his church at Mafoluku and relocated to Ibeju-Lekki but the police kept tracking him.
The suspect was arrested at 12:09pm on Sunday, it was said.
“The Bench Warrant issued by Justice R.A. Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual and Domestic Special Offences Court, GRA Ikeja, was enforced by the police. The case was mentioned six times since it came before it last October and the defendant never showed up.
It was added that there were two bench warrants against the pastor.
Confirming Omosekpa’s arrest, police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said Elemoro Division only enforced warrant of arrest against the cleric.
“Elemoro is not handling the case. They only enforced the warrant, kept him in custody till Monday morning when they moved him to SCID Panti,” Hundeyin said.