Posted by By CHRISTIAN OCHIAMA, Enugu on
A pastor standing trial for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Enugu State has been remanded in prison by a magistrate who says his court lacks jurisdiction over the matter.
A pastor standing trial for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Enugu State has been remanded in prison by a magistrate who says his court lacks jurisdiction over the matter.
Pastor Ernest Okute of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star a.k.a Olumba Olumba was accused of having carnal knowledge of the girl named Chinasa at his residence on Makurdi Street, Trans-Ekulu area in Enugu, on April 23, 2005.
But Okute, while being quizzed by the police, denied the use of force. He said: "Chinasa willfully submitted to my sexual overtures."
According to Okute, trouble started when he demanded for more rounds of sex and the girl suddenly turned violent, picking up a scissors and threatening to kill herself if he insisted on having further sex with her. The two later sustained injuries in the struggle that followed.
The rape victim, a JSS 3 student, in an interview with Daily Sun said Ernest forcefully had sex with her.
Explaining the circumstances surrounding the rape, she said: "Ernest is the pastor in charge of the children's wing of the church. We normally have cultural activities and after, some of us will go to his house to wash the costumes. On this day, it was late and we all slept in the premises. At night, he invited me to his apartment. I went because I did not have anything in mind. Afterall, he is my pastor. Unfortunately, he forced me to sin."
Chinasa's mother, who preferred anonymity, told Daily Sun: "Initially, and even now, we didn't want to make the shameful incident public. I did not even tell my husband who is not a member of the church."
Her husband, who simply identified himself as Chief John said: "Such a dastardly act was done to my daughter and nobody told me. The pastor is a family friend. He comes to my house and I allow him to go with my children to the church. See what he has turned out to be."
When the accused person's name was called in court, it took him some time to identify himself and this drew the ire of the magistrate who tongue-lashed him thoroughly, saying, "you are a very heady person from available information."
Mr Nebolisa Ike, a lawyer represented the accused person while Evans Duru who claimed to be interested in the case represented the complainant. But he was advised by the magistrate that before he could effectively take over prosecution of the case, he should first "apply for a fiat to the Inspector General of Police."
No plea was taken because the magistrate said that his court lacked jurisdiction over the matter. Also, the binding over that would have facilitated the transfer of the case to a High Court could not commence because a key "witness to the crime," Mr Frank Ezeona, president of New Citizens Forum was not in court.