by Oge Okonkwo

A 12-year-old girl,  Ijeoma Mbiaka, narrated to reporters  on Wednesday how she was allegedly  deceived and raped by Samson Otisi, the pastor of her church under the guise of conducting a deliverance on her.

The pastor who heads Rhema Ministries in Oyeagu Abagana in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, allegedly lured the minor to a hotel after she had gone to seek prayers from the pastor due to partial deafness which she is suffering from.

Ijeoma alleged that she pleaded with the pastor reminding him of the repercussions of hid actions, but her plea fell on deaf ears as she was raped repeatedly by the pastor from 9.oo pm till the next morning, left at the hotel room where she cried till she was heard by hotel attendants.

The victim was said to have attended the court session which held at Magistrate Court Abagana, aided due to injuries she sustained as a result of the rape.

Ijeoma narrated, “It started on a Tuesday when I went to the church for prayers. I have not been hearing clearly with my ears for sometime, so I went to the pastor for prayers and when I told him my problem, he said I should stay behind that he will pray for me after everyone has gone.”

She continued, “After the session that day, he called me to the backyard and started praying for me. He poured anointing oil into my ear and mouth. He now ordered me to remove my dress and he poured some on my tummy and started massaging it. After sometime, he started putting his hand inside(Vagina), to which I objected. He said he will leave me if I do not want him to pray for me.”

“After the service, only he and his friend were left, he said he will take me to the house and pray for me, but when I objected and told him that my father will kill me, he said I should not mind that nothing will happen to me.

“He took me to a hotel, ran upstairs and came back and ordered me and his friend to come with him. He took us up and put his friend in another room and took me to a separate room. He ordered food for me and hot drink, to which I objected. He said the drink was part of the deliverance that I had to drink it. He forced it down my throat and when I started to feel sleepy he undressed me and inserted his ‘something’ into me; then he started pushing it in and pushing out.

“Even when blood was gushing out of me, he continued to push the ‘thing’ inside. I tried shouting but he covered my mouth, when I could not help myself, I started praying and telling him of the implication of what he was doing to me before God but he kept on”.

Ijeoma said she had regained  consciousness after she had passed out earlier and began banging on the door of the hotel room asking for assistance.

The victim said she had complained to  her mother earlier when the first incident happened. Speaking to reporters, her mother, Ifeoma  Mbiaka said she confronted the pastor the next day after her daughter had complained but he denied putting his hand under the minor’s  panties claiming he was praying for her partial deafness, a answer which made her believe the pastor meant well.

Mrs. Mbiaka said the truth dawned on her, when her daughter failed to return home from church the following Tuesday.

She said, “I thought she had been kidnapped, in fact I believe this is also kidnap.”

A copy of medical report issued to her by the Chief Medical Officer of Enugu Ukwu General Hospital, Dr J.O Akuka which her parents showed to our reporter revealed that she sustained bruises, and a torn hymen.

This showed that there was a penetration in her vagina.

Ijeoma’s father pleaded with the relevant authorities to help her find justice for her innocent daughter who was violated by a man she trusted to be a Man of God, as the matter is currently before a Magistrate court in Abagana.

He told  reporters that the pastor had allegedly offered him N500, 000 to keep sealed lips, an offer he rejected, but expressed fears that the pastor may use the money to subvert justice.

The pastor, Rev Otisi, who is the senior pastor of a branch of Rhema Church in Abagana refused to make comments when he was approached.

His counsel, Barr CC Achi, however, said that the matter was only being engineered by unseen hands from behind as his client occupied a land that is in dispute.

“The issue here is land dispute, but these people are being used by someone who is in tussle over a piece of land with our client. On a separate allegation of being previously charged with the rape of 8-year-old in his church, the lawyer said it was not true, adding that it was meant to paint his client in bad light.