A bishop in Delta State has been arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl in his church, Victory Revival Fasting and Prayer Ministry, where he is the founder and general overseer.
The alleged rapist, Bishop Elijah Orhonigbe was arrested by officers of the Nigerian police force are command of warri, delta state on Friday, 5th June.
ACP Mohammed Muktar Garba who is the Warri area commander confirmed this to newsmen on Monday, saying the bishop was arrested after the mother of the 19-year-old girl had filed a complaint with his office against the man.
The mother was a member of the church and brought her 19-year-old daughter to the bishop after he had requested to conduct deliverance on the girl to avoid a vision of death he had seen in her house.
The ACP said the mother brought the 19-year-old girl to the bishop who he thinks might have drugged her and raped her. He said he took her to the hospital where she was in a coma for two days.
On his next move, the APC said, “We were looking for this pastor for the past three weeks. We later traced him to where he was hiding and I got him arrested, and we are charging him to court now. This is somebody that I arrested since Friday. He has been in a cell since Friday, Saturday, Sunday and today-Monday. I am charging him to court. We have pictures and we have examined the victim. I took her to the doctor and he has examined her private parts, we have everything to charge this man to court.”
ACP Mohammed Garba denied demanding any form of bribe from the bishop, ensuring that he will face the full wrath of the law when charged to court.
Bishop Elijah Orhonigbe meanwhile denied these allegations on his way to court for the hearing, saying “She came to church on that faithful day, the 20th of May. The mother brought her to the church for deliverance and I prayed for her in front of the altar in the presence of three people. Immediately after the prayer, she left the church. That was around 12. She came back 5 ‘o’clock with policemen and some crowd, saying ‘this is the man.’ I did not rape her.”
The 19-year-old victim said she was a member of the church when she was younger, but she had stopped attending, only for the bishop to ask her mother to bring her after he saw a vision.
The bishop had told her that she had sexual intercourse with a yahoo boy (internet fraudster) who had cleaned her up with a handkerchief with the intention of using her for rituals. The 19-year-old girl claimed the bishop gave her olive oil to put into her private part and gave her more to drink before she was asked to strip naked and lie down on a mat in the church premises while the doors and windows were closed.
She said, “He started having sex with me through the back. That was all I could remember. There was sperm all over my body. I shouted. He even said I should come again.”
The mother of the 19-year-old girl, Mrs Taye Edema supported the claims of her daughter, demanding for justice just as her daughter did so, saying they do not intend collecting money, and the only solution they want is for justice to be served against the bishop.
Their lawyer to the victim, Prince Clem Ade Omotoye, Esq said he and his client are ready to follow the matter up to its legal conclusion.