An
Abuja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday adjourned to May 16, a case of alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl preferred against Pastor Basil Princewill of the
Mountain Mover Fire Ministry, Nyanya, Abuja.
Chief Magistrate Ahmed Shaibu adjourned the case after listening to the cross-examination of the mother of the victim, Ngozi Iwuoha, by the defence counsel.
He said the adjournment would enable both parties to bring more witnesses before the court and ordered for witness summons to be served accordingly.
The prosecutor, Samuel Bulus, had at the beginning of the trial requested for a postponement of the proceedings for the day as the accused was already arraigned before a High Court in Abuja for same offence.
This was, however, over-ruled by the magistrate before the continuation of hearing.
Mr. Princewill was arraigned alongside Pauline Okoh, his Church Co-ordinator, for alleged rape, criminal conspiracy, intimidation, impersonation and assault.
The police said Princewill allegedly raped the 14-year-old minor.
Mr. Bulus told the court that sometime in July 2012 the Police Command in the FCT received a transferred case file with a covering letter from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
“We got information that Princewill unlawfully had sexual intercourse in his office with the minor, who is a member of his church,” he said
He said the accused committed the offence under the pretence of carrying out “deliverance” on the victim and got her pregnant.
“When he discovered that the girl was pregnant, he conspired with one of his church coordinators, Pauline Okoh, and took her to Fantanu Head Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, for an abortion,” he said.
The prosecutor said the accused impersonated the victim’s father and aborted the pregnancy without her consent.
“He equally intimidated the victim not to disclose the situation to anybody,’’ he said.
The mother of the girl, Ngozi Iwuoha, said that her daughter refused to tell her anything when she noticed that she was bleeding.
“She insisted that it was her normal menstrual flow.
“I became worried and took her to our church pastor, who is the accused; he asked me to take her home and pray for God’s intervention and divine visitation.
“After enough persuasion, she told me that it was Papa, our church General Overseer that did it to her.
“He asked her to buy a white handkerchief and olive oil and come to his office with them to clean up her dirty foundation.
“She took the oil and handkerchief to his office and he forcibly had sex with her and threatened her with a knife.
“He made her promise never to tell anybody what happened or he would kill her,’’ she said.
Ms. Iwuoha said the accused was an imposter, who was impersonating as a lawyer with LLB qualification, while he was not.
“I took my daughter to the hospital and she was diagnosed with a post-abortion trauma, which led to complications.
“And when I told the accused the result of the test, he reported me to the police for allegedly defaming his character and I was arrested and detained for a day,’’ she said.
A CD player and a flyer of the accused dressed as a lawyer wearing a wig were presented to the court as evidence.
SOURCE-PREMIUM TIMES
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