The trial of a Lagos pastor, Joseph Ogunleye alleged to have been sexually defiling two under-aged girls, Mary, 7, and Bilikisu, 10, (surnames withheld), respectively over the last two years at Ijegun, will commence at a Lagos court on Monday.
Coordinator, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, who made this known, told The Nation that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) has established a ‘prima facie case’ against the pastor and recommended him for prosecution.
Vivour-Adeniyi said the DPP’s advice was based on reports of investigations and other evidences gathered by the police, which were forwarded to the directorate for necessary legal advice in order to ensure successful prosecution of the matter in court.
The Director of the DPP, Idowu Alakija, said she would personally prosecute the accused person, who would be facing child defilement related charges.
She said the sordid act of the pastor was brought to the attention of DSVRT by a Non Governmental Organisation, Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP).
The accused person who is the Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA) of Alagbelebu Street, Kudeyiebu Estate, in Ijegun, Lagos, is also the proprietor of a school located at 20, Alagbelebu Street, which is equally used as church where he is the pastor.
She disclosed that the two girls attend the suspect’s school, which serves as his residence, school and church.
Recalling their ordeals in the hand of the pastor, one of the victims, Mary, said the suspect always asked her and Bilikisu to fetch water for him in his bedroom during the school daily break periods.
Mary said on the fateful day, Ogunleye allegedly came into the house and threw her to the bed, removed her pants, undressed himself before having carnal knowledge of her.
Mary also alleged that Ogunleye has been having sex with them since last year and they could not tell anyone because they feared they would die if they exposed the secret.
The dastardly act of the pastor came into the open when Mary was heard playfully telling one of the children within the neighbourhood that Bilikisu is Mr. Ogunleye’s wife. Bilikisu, it was said, responded that Mary is his wife too since he does the same thing to both of them.
It was said that the neighbour’s child mentioned the altercation between the minors to her mother, who insisted on finding out what was transpired between them and the suspect.
After much pressure from Mary’s mother, she finally opened up and narrated how Ogunleye has allegedly been defiling them.
According to reports by WRAHP, Mary’s mother confronted Ogunleye on the issue and pleaded with him to stop having carnal knowledge of her daughter. Ogunleye allegedly promised never to touch them again.
Ogunleye, however, declined Mary’s mother’s request that he should provide money for her daughter to undergo medical diagnosis. The mother was thereafter summoned by the Onijegun of Ijegun, Oba Alani Akinremi following a report lodged by Ogunleye that he was being blackmailed by the mother of his victims.
In his own account, Oba Akinremi, told the WRAHP team that he had received a phone call from Ogunleye that the parents of his pupils were blackmailing him.
The monarch said in his bid to find out why the pastor was being blackmailed, he had summoned the parents of the girls, adding that it was at this point he became aware of the pastor’s misdeed.
Considering the safety and health of the girls, the monarch offered to pay for their medical examination.
After the examination, Ogunleye admitted to have sexually molested the girls and apologised to the parents.
He was then asked him write an undertaking, stating his admittance and apology of which he wrote, signed and thumb printed.
On the invitation of Ogunleye, police officers from Isheri Police Station, arrested both parents of Mary and Bilikus, including Mary’s uncle on the grounds that he was being blackmailed. The tide of events however turned against the pastor when the parents of his victims lodged formal complaints against him at the station and he was subsequently arrested by the police from Idimu Police Station, Area ‘M’ Command. It was said that the suspect has since been in custody at Panti Police Station pending the commencement of his trial on Monday.
