A 65-year-old Pastor Francis Ogwu, who is the General Overseer of Jesus House of Joy Church, Awka, Anambra State, arrested for allegedly raping his 7-year-old house help, has denied the allegation, but confessed that he fingered the girl once.
Penpushing reports that Ogwu said this during interrogation alongside with the girl, adding that the denial of his wife to offer him sex pushed him to turn to the house help, and pleaded for forgiveness, attributing his action to devil
‘I only fingered her once. The problem with my wife is that each time I wanted her, she would tell me that she was fasting or doing night vigil. Since 1991 till now, I have been preaching the gospel’, the suspect said
Penpushing further reports that the suspect who hails from Imo State but resides in Awka, Anambra State, claimed that the devil must have pushed him into the act, given that the survivor had yet to develop breasts that could possibly attract him to her.
The pastor’s wife when questioned why she denied her husband sex, and in response said she would not be able to answer the question, adding that she was not even aware that her husband was raping the survivor.
Penpushing also reports that the survivor was quoted in her narrative that the pastor allegedly raped her times, and thereafter offered her between N500 and N1000, adding that the suspect’s wife later accused her of attempting to snatch her husband from her.
The media aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, on Thursday confirmed the arrest of the cleric, which was in response to an alarm raised by some residents in the neighbourhood that he had been raping the girl child
Penpushing also reports that the statement did not indicate when the suspect allegedly raped the survivor, but affirmed that he(suspect) lives with his wife and children alongside the house help in Awka town.
The mother of the survivor, Destiny Nwabueze said she allowed her daughter to live with Ogwu’s family due to the friendship existing between the two families, adding that she was shocked when she learnt from the daughter that the suspect had been raping her.
Penpushing reports that the mother said the suspect denied the allegations when confronted, which prompted her to involve people in the neighbourhood in raising the alarm.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, vowed to ensure the survivor gets justice, as she advised married women to avoid starving their husbands of sex, stressing that such could push the husband to misbehave.
Penpushing further reports that she equally urged women always to protect their girl child at all costs, noting that rape was no longer excusable in Anambra State, explaining that the case had been handed over to the police.
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