Pastor arrested for allegedly defiling 9-yr-old girl
May my life be taken away if I did it —Suspect
By Dayo Johnson & Evelyn Usman
AKURE—FOR raping his neigbhour’s 10-year-old daughter, an Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital, has sentenced a 42-year-old father of two, Thompson Ojo, to five years imprisonment.
This came as the General Overseer of a popular church in Shomolu area of Lagos was arrested for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl.
Sergeant Olaniyi Ogunsusi, the Police prosecution witness in Thompson Ojo’s case, said the convict was arrested and brought to the court for having carnal knowledge of the daughter of his neighbour.
Ogunsisi told the court the incident happened at 1, Bayode Street, Ijoka Road, Akure.
The victim (name withheld) told the court that on the said date, her father had gone to the farm and her elder sister was not at home when the accused person sent one of his sons, whom she called Peter, to call her on the pretext that he wanted to send her on an errand.
She said when she got into his room, he sent his son out of his room, grabbed her and threw her on the bed.
She further testified that he penetrated her though she cried for mercy as she did not understand what he was doing to her.
She stated that as she was crying with pain, he covered her mouth with pillow in order to stop her cries and shout for help.
Also, the victim’s father, Adeleke, who also testified said when he came back from the farm he discovered the blood stains in the accused room. He said he was told that the victim had been taken to the hospital by her elder sister as their mother was dead.
He testified that the blood stains in her room and the corridor was much and it took him a while to clean them up.
A medical expert Dr. E.O Babatunde, who also appeared in court said “through examination, deep lacerations were discovered in the girl’s private part and there was much bleeding from her body, which indicated that there was indeed a penetration.
Ogunsusi also tendered before the court, the stained pant of the victim, the stained bedsheet of the accused and the pillow case as evidence.
His Defense counsel, Mr John Olowookere, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy as the accused person was a first offender.
The ruling
Delivering judgement, Justice William Olamide said “the graphic testimony of the witnesses and the proximity between the victim’s family and accused family indeed showed that indeed the accused was guilty of the charges preferred against him.
Justice Olamide said the overwhelming evidence against the convict showed that Ojo was guilty and declared his actions as disgraceful .
He, thereafter sentenced him to five years imprisonment.
Pastor nabbed for allegedly defiling 9-yr-old girl
Also yesterday, Lagos State Police Command paraded the General Overseer of a popular church in Shomolu area of Lagos for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl.
The victim (names withheld) who alleged that the suspect had been having carnal knowledge of her since last year, said the last act was done in the suspect wife’s shop located on Bankole Street.
The victim’s mother, Mrs Peace Effiong, told policemen at Pedro Division in Shomolu that she became suspicious after the primary school pupil began to behave strange.
She stated that on April 13, 2018, while her daughter was sleeping, that she observed liquid substance suspected to be semen dripping from her daughter’s vigina.
Upon interrogation, her daughter revealed that the General Overseer, Pastor Udoh Okon, had been having carnal knowledge of her.
The Lagos State Police Command boss, Edgal Imohimi, who paraded the suspect before newsmen, yesterday, said: “Upon interrogation, the suspect denied the allegation. However, medical examination conducted on the girl revealed that her hymen had been ruptured long ago, an indication that the suspect had been having carnal knowledge of her long before the discovery.
May my life be taken away if I did it —Suspect
On his part, the suspect said: “I cautioned her mother not to beat her in public. Only for me to be roped into a matter I knew nothing of. She used to go on errand for me and carried my bag home anytime she saw me returning. They only saw her taking empty bottles of soft drinks from my room outside . Why would I sleep with a girl that is old enough to be my granddaughter?
“Her parents know those that are responsible. Before the living God that created this day, if I have ever slept with her may my life never see light. They should have extracted my semen to see if it matched that found in her vigina, that way the truth would have been established.
This woman (victim’s mother) is conniving with my enemy to bring me down. I have been a pastor for 30 years without any scandal. May my life be taken away if I did it.”
THE VANGUARD
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