A 19-year-old rape victim on Monday, March 27, appeared before a sexual offences and domestic violence court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, to testify against one Pope Paul, a youth pastor in the Deeper Life Bible Church she accused of raping her.
Narrating her experience in court, she revealed that the cleric began raping her when she was 15 and while living with him. She said she knew the cleric when she started living with his wife identified as sister Lydia.
She said Paul started the alleged sexual abuse by touching her breasts when nobody was around. The rape victim said;
“Immediately after Sister Lydia got married, I came to Lagos for a holiday in 2016.
“After the holiday was over, I was to go back home (Ibadan) but she told me I should start living with her and that she had spoken with my mother.
“I was enrolled in a private school as I resumed in SS1. I only go back to my parents during the holiday.
“On February 17, 2018, I noticed this lustful look on Pope Paul and he came to me; he started with a rough play and then bumped on me.
“He started touching me because there was nobody around.
“He moved on to touch my breasts and used his hand to cover my mouth while he inserted his fingers into my private part. As he fingered my private part, blood was flowing out.”
She also alleged that the cleric played a “Christian message” and increased the volume so that no one could hear her voice during the alleged rape incident. He also allegedly warned her that she would die if she told anyone.
She further recalled how Paul allegedly came to her room one night, dragged her to the kitchen and had sexual intercourse with her. The abuses she said she was subjected to came to light after her mother who had been observing her, forced her to take a pregnancy test which came back positive.
She said;
“My mum called pastor and he said that he was sorry and had asked God for forgiveness and knew that God had forgiven him.
“My mum told him to inform his wife about the pregnancy but he refused and later denied that he impregnated me which prompted my mother to report the case to the police and he was arrested.”
Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case to May 23 for continuation of trial.