The Rivers State Police arrested a pastor allegedly defiled a 10-year-old girl
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a pastor of a new generation church simply identified as Lucky, aged 45, for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in the Ihuaje community in the Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
The arrest of the said cleric, our correspondent was told on Wednesday, was carried out by members of a local security outfit formally called 'ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee' led by its Commander code-named OSPAC.
PUNCH Metro further gathered that the Commander of OSPAC in Ahoada East LGA, Precious Ihuruzu, led his men to the community after he received news of the incident, picked the suspect and handed him over to the Ahoada Police Division.
Speaking to newsmen on the incident, a member of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Dennis Otobo, said he had received a call from the gender desk of the state Ministry of Health about a case of child abuse which they wanted him to follow up; which he obliged.
On that level, I decided to call the Divisional Police Officer for assistance and arrest. It was in the evening that the DPO told me that they should come on Sunday and that he was going to handle the case professionally. Truly, he did that because as we are talking, the man (pastor) is in Ahoada police station."
Otobo commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekeakita, the OSPAC and a rights activist, Prince Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign for their various roles in ensuring the suspect's arrest.
The gender advocate therefore called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and asked that if found culpable, the suspect should be charged to court for prosecution.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the pastor's arrest, saying it followed a complaint of alleged defilement by the parents of the tween girl.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated, "Yes, I can confirm his arrest. The pastor is with us here in the command. We received a complaint from the parents of the girl and our men working with a local vigilante there arrested him. Investigations are ongoing."