Police Arrest Pastor For Defiling, Impregnating Minor

A pastor of a Pentecostal church in Rivers State, Legitom Doctor, has been arrested by operatives of Runuolumeni Police Divisional Headquarters in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area for defiling and impregnating an 11-year-old girl.

Doctor, a 44-year-old man, who is the head of Greater Grace and Mercy Church in Rumuolumeni, had, on December 2016, allegedly forced his victim to bed and impregnated her.

The victim stated that Doctor raped her the day her father travelled home to bury his mother, adding that he gave her N2,000 to abort the baby.

She said, “He is our close neighbour. In December 2016, I went to his house to take our needle and thread that his sister-in-law collected from me. When I got there, he came out of his room and I told him that I came to collect the needle and thread his sister-in-law took from me. He asked me to come in. I went in. He grabbed me and slept with me.


“When he finished and I was crying, he told me that if I tell anybody, I will die the way my mother died. I was afraid. I did not tell anybody until June when my father discovered that I was pregnant.

“I did not know what was happening to me. I met him (Doctor) and told him that I had not seen my period since the incident; he told me that I should not be afraid and that I should remember his warning. Later that day, after we came back from the church, he gave his sister-in-law money to take me to a place to abort the baby, but when we got there, the doctor said he would not do it because I would die. I did not tell my father because I was afraid.”

The suspect admitted to sleeping with the girl, claiming he did not know what had come over him.

Doctor said, “I had carnal knowledge of her on December 29, 2016. Around May ending, she told me that she was pregnant. I am a pastor. When I finished it, I wept. I know I am responsible. I want to take care of her until she puts to bed. I will train her.”

However, the father of the victim, identified simply as Uduak, said he would only drop the case upon the payment of N5m by the suspect to take care of his pregnant daughter.

The Divisional Police Officer of Rumuolumeni Police Division, Mr. Kingsley Chukwueggu, said the suspect would be arraigned in court at the end of the investigation.

Also, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, said the state police command was aware of the matter, adding that investigation was ongoing.