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Tag: pastor

  • ‘Pastor raped me countless times’- Victim tells court

    Pastor Princewill Basil who is standing trial before an FCT High Court over alleged rape of two girls was on Tuesday confronted by a second victim who claimed he raped her countless times.

    Basil, the General Overseer, Mountain Movers Fire Ministry Church, Nyanya, was arraigned in 2012 for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge and impregnating two student-members of his church, aged 14 and 15 years.

    Giving evidence under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Sunday Kekere, the victim said the pastor rape her to “cleanse her spirit of dirt’’.

    “I cannot remember the number of times he raped me.

    “Papa told me it was a continuous deliverance, and he had to sleep with me to clean all the dirt inside me and also cleanse my future,’’’ she told court.

    When asked if in her statement to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), she admitted living with the accused, she answered `no’.

    “I never told them (NAPTIP) that. I told them that I always go there to assist Papa’s former fiancée Cynthia, with household chores.

    “There are days that I sleep over to finish my chores,’’ she said.

    When asked if the pastor had paid her school fees before, she said: “Papa had once told me during deliverance that he gave my mum N40, 000 for my school fees.’’

    “When I asked my mum, she said it was not true,’’ she testified.

    The victim alleged that the accused had on some occasions, threatened her with a knife to force her to sleep with him.

    After her testimony, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf adjourned the case to March 14 for continuation of testimony.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that at the last sitting of the case on Feb. 11, the first victim told the court that Basil allegedly told her that her father’s wife was trying to kill her and that the Lord told him to perform a quick deliverance on her.

    “I agreed for the deliverance to be carried out on me. During the deliverance, he carried a white handkerchief and a bottle of oil and asked me to remove my clothes.

    “He also asked me if I was menstruating and I told him no.

    “He told me that I was possessed with many evil spirits that had stained my blood, and it will only take my husband to deliver me and I was not married.

    “He said that he will carry out the cleansing on me,’’ she said.

    The victim testified that the accused led her into his bedroom and asked her to close her eyes, brought his handkerchief and placed it over her head and she became very weak.

    The victim, alleged that the accused raped her.

    The offences, NAPTIP said, contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 179, 397(B) and 268 of the Penal Code.

    If convicted, he is liable to 14 years in prison.

    The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

  • Woman sow car to find missing husband, says pastor

    A pastor of Land of Evidence Church in Benin City, Prince Udoka Nkanchukwu yesterday said a Volkswagen Passat car found on him was a seed sown by a woman to help find her missing husband.

    Pastor Udoka changed the plate number of the car before he was caught after the car was tracked to his residence.

    Pastor Udoka who said he changed the plate number because pastors don’t drive such cars with the original plate number was paraded by the Edo State Police Command for murder of the woman’s husband.

    The husband of the woman, Victor Gabriel Isonguyo, a staff of Nigeria Petroleum Development Commission (NPDC) was found burnt in his private car along Sapele road.

    Police said Pastor Udoka has confessed to be the secret lover of Victor’s wife, Enebong, and that both of them planned to kill the deceased.

    Pastor Udoka denied involvement in the murder and said he has been a family friend to the Isonguyos.

    According to him, “She called me and told me that the husband is missing. I was shocked when she brought a car as a seed for God to bring the man back. I have not been to church since March.”

    “I have been a family pastor to them. I used to bring the children from school and the woman would give me ATM card to take care of the poultry. This car is a gift brought to bring the man back. She said I should used the car to sow seed in the church I attend to bring the man back. I don’t have any affair with her.”

    Wife of the victim, Enebong who is heavily pregnant said she reported to the police three days after her husband did not return home.

    Enebong aged 39 said her husband complained of burning sensation in the stomach but refused to allow her take him to the hospital.

    “After a meal, he said something he has burning sensation that he cannot manage till the next day. I asked to drive him but he said no and left at about 10:45pm. My family members said I should not raise alarm.”

    “My husband told me the car was a gift that goes with the promotion. I didn’t know it was an official car. I called the Pastor and gave him the car.”

    Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

     

  • Advice for youths, couples

    Couples and those in relationships have been urged to seek enough knowledge and understanding on true love to avoid unnecessary marital problem or separation in future.

    The admonition was given by the founder of Family for a Ministry, Pastor Amaefula While speaking at this year single summit tagged: “Love reality or illusion at Assemblies of God Church, Apapa, Lagos.

    Amaefula said she discovered that people out of ignorance, dwell on illusion rather than the reality of love.

    According to the minister, illusion, passion and falsehood do not build good relationship as they cannot withstand the challenges of marriage. She, therefore, charged Christians to demonstrate active love that is based on truth.

    Speaking on the increased of divorce rate and the attendant effect, she said: “In many of the instances where the couples have lived together for many years and blessed with children, it is the children that suffer. It is either they live in separate homes or are faced with difficulties which turn them into social misfits.

    She said some societal problems can be traced to situations in broken homes and lack of real love in marriage.

    The minister of God, therefore, called on church leaders, parents and general public to preach the biblical perspective of love and not an illusion, saying, “the proper way is to build lasting relationship on true love which comes from God.”

    She said creation of awareness programmes on issues affecting families and marriage which directly affects the nation at large will cause a charge in the value, orientation and vision of real love from God to people.

    The summit, which is an annual programme, featured youths from different churched and non-Christians on interactive session, preaching of true love, worship, recitation of poems on different form of live, affection for the family.

  • Church gives free medicare

    Church gives free medicare

    It was another happy moment for residents of Palmgrove and environs recently as their health needs were attended to by the Divine Apostolic Ministry International.

    Speaking at the event,the General Overseerof the church, Pastor Ben Eragbai said the church was making its little contribution to help the needy who have no access to medical facilities.

    He said: “By the grace of God the exercise is about giving back to the society. We realised that many people outside there do not have access to free medical facilities.”

    He said his poor background has made him seek a way of improving the lives of the needy who suffered a similar fate like him.

    “I am from a very poor background to the extent that my parents could not afford drugs in those days. So, when you look at such a situation, you realise that there others in similar situation that need your help”

    Eragbai, who did not want to mention the amount involved in the project, said those who financed it were committed men of God who just wanted to make impact on the lives of the needy. “Let say we a looking at some millions of naira,” he said.

    He explained that the beneficiaries are not only members of the church. “We have Muslims and Christians from other denominations living around the neighbourhood. We give out to the community not just our members alone.”

    He called on other churches to do similar things,saying everybody must play his or her role in the development of the society.

    “If you look out there, you will find some other projects that we have embarked on. We have sunk boreholes which the community is benefiting from. People fetch water from the borehole throughout the day. There is standby generator that powers the borehole because we don’t want them to suffer in terms of accessing water,” he said.

     

     

    He commended the medial team for their service and noted that they were members of the house who are using their professional callings to impact in the lives of the people.

    Eragbai urged those who receive the medication to give their lives to Christ to avoid unnecessary health challenges. “My case used to be hospital in, hospital out but when I encounter God my life change, I want you to give your life to Christ.”

  • Bode George vs. the boy pastor

    Chief Bode George is the classic Nigeria ‘big man’ of the 21st century. He epitomizes today’s leader, especially of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mould: they are remarkable for their deep vacuity and starkly unreflective ways. Suffering through a florid two-page interview Bode George granted The Punch last Saturday was most stomach-churning but it served a nobler purpose of showcasing the ingrained kakistocrat in him and explains why with leaders like him at the helm, Nigeria will forever be sitting at the brink of the precipice peering down her doom.

    It wasn’t Chief George’s puerile, narcissistic politics that rankled Hardball into noticing and reading the interview but his profanity and his poor understanding of the Christian mores. Any Christian worth the name would have been stopped short by the headline of the interview in question which reads: “I was extremely angry when that pastor said I should go and sin no more.” For those who may be unaware, Bode George, an ex-naval officer and Military Administrator of Ondo State, is a staunch PDP chieftain from Lagos State. He was former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, South. He was convicted and jailed for two years for fraudulent activities when he was chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    Though he and his co-convicts have continued to insist on their innocence and have actually returned to court, but he today, remains a returnee from jail, determined so by a court of competent authority. Bode George upon his release, went from the prison cell to the church for thanksgiving; a jamboree more like. In his homily during the Service, the priest had admonished that Bode George should “go and sin no more.” How did you feel when the pastor said, “go and sin no more”, he was asked?

    Here is Bode George’s answer: “That young boy said it, he had leanings with the opposition. He was in form four when I was governor of Ondo State. I was livid but I said I was in church. This young man would not derail my thanksgiving to God Almighty;… I went the following morning to challenge the provost; they said no, that is not what he meant.’ I said ‘you don’t know this boy; he is an apologist to Bola Tinubu and co.’

    Not done in his righteous indignation towards a reverend gentleman, he said that he decided to go straight to church because of God’s grace towards him through the period, “so when this young man was talking garbage there, you know you can’t respond there. I went to the provost, this was an anomaly, a misnomer, absolute rubbish, I didn’t come here for this boy, of course nemesis caught up with him too. They’ve taken him out to a smaller church, that’s where he deserves…”

    You would wish Chief Bode George did not speak in this manner; wouldn’t you? For an elder, a former governor and a leader in the ruling party, how could he be so irreverent and foul of mouth, especially towards an ordained man of God? Hardball is hard put to have to give our dear chief some tutorials in the manners of Christendom: no true Christian ever refers to an ordained priest as “this boy” or “this young man” for that matter. A priest is a priest or our father in the Lord. Even if that young man was Bode George’s son, he ceased to be a boy the day he was ordained.

    And to say that a priest is “talking garbage” or “absolute rubbish,” that really is the limit and Hardball’s sincere advice to Chief George is to seek out that priest in that smaller church (no such thing) where “nemesis has taken him to, kneel before him and ask for forgiveness. Or does he prefer to “go and keep on sinning?” As for the totality of the interview, let’s just say that it is as hollow as the PDP which explains why he is a leader there.

     

  • ‘Pastor’ arraigned for raping 12-year-old

    A self-styled pastor, Linus Ottis (28), has been arraigned by the police for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    At the Njikoka Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Magistrate M A Mbakwe admitted him to bail on N100,000 and a surety who must be a traditional ruler, president-general or a Grade Level 14 officer with landed property in Awka.

    The ‘pastor’ of Rhema ministry in Abagana allegedly raped the girl on September 3 in an Awka hotel.

    It was gathered that the victim, a secondary school pupil, is partially deaf, and now walks abnormally.

    In her ruling, Mrs. Mbakwe said the bail was conditional and might be revoked, if the defendant commits another crime within the time limit.

    A doctor’s report from Enuguukwu General Hospital, signed by the Chief Medical Director, Dr J O Atuka, showed that the girl was sexually assaulted.

    This, Atuka said, lasted from 8pm till the following morning, adding that she walked into the consulting room with a gait, consistent with severe vulva virginal pain and hearing defect.

    In Bayelsa State, a 45-year-old man, simply identified as Omo, was on Tuesday arrested by the police for allegedly raping an 11-year old girl.

    The victim was identified as a primary school pupil in Etegwe, Yenagoa Local Government Area.

    The suspect, who hailed from Edo State, was said to be married and has five children.

    Omo, it was learnt, lured his victim into an uncompleted building close to his house and raped the girl, who is a neighbour’s daughter.

    The victim was said to be bleeding after she was violated.

    Police sources said the victim’s mouth was stuffed with handkerchief while the rape lasted.

    The victim’s sister, who identified herself as Kate, said: “My violated sister crawled into the house crying in pain that the man raped her.

    “She struggled into the house to tell me what happened. I immediately arranged a vehicle and rushed her to a private hospital known as GloryLand Hospital. The bleeding was stopped and l obtained a medical report.

    “The man lured the girl into the uncompleted building under the pretext of sending her on an errand. Instead, he grabbed her and dragged her into the uncompleted building and raped her.”

  • Family, pastor opt for out-of-court settlement

    The children and family of the late Mrs. Iziegbe Imariagbe, who was allegedly killed a few metres from her church, have opted to settle out-of- court.

    The incident involved Rev. Godday Osejele of the Living God Gospel Church, Uwan, near NIFOR, Benin City.

    On February 18, 2012, the deceased’s children, through their spokesman, Osaretin Imariagbe, alleged that Rev. Osejele’s church could not be exonerated from the killing of their mother.

    But the cleric maintained his innocence.

    The police then investigated and took the matter to court.

    Imariagbe, as part of the truce, in a sworn affidavit dated July 22, repudiated the family’s earlier position.

    The affidavit reads: “That I state and stress that the earlier rumour and gossips associated with Rev. Godday Osejele and members of his Living God Gospel Church, Uwan, near NIFOR, Benin City as being responsible for Mrs. Iziegbe Imariagbe’s death are unfounded.

    “That the report to the police at Ekiadolor and police headquarters, Benin City about Rev. Goddy Osejele as a suspect was done on mere suspicion and it is hereby regretted.

    “That I make this averment to clear the air of all doubts regarding the issues arising from my mother’s death in order for all parties in the matter to peacefully resolve the issues amicably without any further recourse to litigation.”

  • Land dispute: Court acquits pastor

    An Enugu High Court has quashed the judgment of an Enugu Magistrate Court that convicted the General Superintendent of the Christian Victory Prayer Ministry, Enugu, Pastor Dan Obinegbo, over a land dispute.

    Pastor Obinegbo has been in a land feud with Chief J.C Ugwu , Chief Mark Ngene and Nicodemus Ogbodo, all of Umu-Ugwu Aku, Awkunanw, Enugu, in the past eight years.

    Justice Frederick Chukwumemeka Obieze delivering judgement in the appeal filed by the clergy said the lower court erred in law when it convicted the appellants on an incompetent charge and for which he had no jurisdiction.

    Justice Obieze said that the magistrate erred in law when he convicted the appellants (1st and 4th accused persons) without the court hearing their defence and thereby deprived them of fair-hearing.

    “Those particulars of error are that at the date of the judgment, the appellants have not stated their defence. That the court foreclosed them in their defence when they had a motion for stay of proceedings of that court pending in the Court of Appeal.”

    The judge ruled that the evidence relied on by the learned counsel for the respondent taken together in the circumstance of the appeal could not prove a conspiracy against the appellants and could not justify the conviction of the appellants.

     

  • Pastor held for defiling two teenagers

    A pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church, Eze Fidelis, has been arrested by men of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly defiling two teenagers at the same time.

    Fidelis was among the 32 suspects paraded for various offences ranging from kidnapping, car snatching, armed robbery, cultism and fraud.

    He was alleged to have had carnal knowledge of a nine years old girl at Abudu in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state.

    The state Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo, said it was the victim’s father that noticed that she was not walking fine and upon enquiry said the painful movement was as a result of sexual intercourse with the pastor.

    In a chat with journalists, Fidelis blamed the devil for his ordeal, saying he committed the act over a year ago.

    He said the victims who are in primary school came to his house during school-break but did not have proper sex with them.

    “I am 47 and have been a pastor for 10 years. The parents were my church members before they left but they were still coming to my house. Joy came with her friend and the devil tempted me. They didn’t cry and I did not do anything reasonable with them. I gave them N50. The parents discovered and confessed after which they forgave me,” he said.

    Fidelis, however, denied having sex with the victim recently.

  • Court remands pastor, doctor for alleged murder

    A Makurdi Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday remanded a pastor, Matthew Ekele, and a doctor, Paul Okpeh, for alleged murder.

    The two accused persons, resident of Ai-Odu village in Ogbadibo Local Government of Benue, allegedly killed one Matthew Abah.

    Prosecutor Gabriel Ebonyi told the court that the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Ogbadibo to state CID via a letter.

    According to the letter, one Joseph Onyeke, reported at Otukpa Police Station that the pastor conspired with one Indian Igwe, and beat up the deceased.

    The complainant reported that after the fight, Ekele took the deceased to St. Peters Clinic owned and managed by the second accused person (Okpeh) who was not a certified medical doctor.

    He further said that the pastor asked Okpe to perform a surgical operation on the deceased and as a result, he died after the operation.

    The prosecutor said the accused persons were arrested during police investigation while Igwe was still at large.

    He said the offence contravened Section 97 and 222 of the Penal Code.

    No plea was taken.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Dan Ogoh, adjourned the matter to June 26, for mention