The shepherd in charge of a white garment church, (name withheld) has been arrested by the Ogun State police command for impregnating the daughter of a member of his church, and abducting and keeping her for almost two months with six months pregnancy without the knowledge of her parents.

Saturday Tribune, learnt that the pregnant girl, aged about 18, was lured from her parents’ residence on January 8, 2024 and kept in another church, with the prophet deceiving his fellow cleric that he brought the girl for a spiritual retreat.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the arrest of the cleric, said that after impregnating the teenager, he took her to an unknown destination. She said that he also joined the worried parents in a fruitless search for the girl until a call from the girl exposed the suspect.

The shepherd in charge of a white garment church, (name withheld) has been arrested by the Ogun State police command for impregnating the daughter of a member of his church, and abducting and keeping her for almost two months with six months pregnancy without the knowledge of her parents.

Saturday Tribune, learnt that the pregnant girl, aged about 18, was lured from her parents’ residence on January 8, 2024 and kept in another church, with the prophet deceiving his fellow cleric that he brought the girl for a spiritual retreat.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the arrest of the cleric, said that after impregnating the teenager, he took her to an unknown destination. She said that he also joined the worried parents in a fruitless search for the girl until a call from the girl exposed the suspect.

“I was afraid when she got pregnant. Even when her parents were searching for her, I was afraid to tell them where I kept her. I joined them in the search because I didn’t want my reputation to be damaged, but what I was trying to hide has been exposed.”

On the allegation of his moves to send the girl to Libya, he said he was told by a member of his church whose daughter was already there. He said that the pregnant girl’s parents did not agree when they were told. “I decided to keep her away from home so that I could go to her parents to tell them about being responsible for her pregnancy. I have never done such a thing before. I want the public to have mercy on me,” he pleaded.

In her narration, the girl’s mother, Joke (surname withheld), who comes from Owu but lives in Ifo, said: “I’m a member of the prophet’s church, and my daughter was attending with me. I didn’t notice any relationship between the prophet and my daughter, but on January 8, I didn’t see my daughter when I returned home from my shop.

“On that day, I reprimanded her for refusing to fetch water for me to take my bath. Not happy with her action, I said she should not follow me to my shop. On my return, I noticed that she had emptied her school bag of the books in it and must have stuffed it with her clothes. I called her father’s attention to it.

“The first person I called after the father was the prophet, but he didn’t pick my calls, even till the middle of the night. In the morning, he came to my house to ask for the reason I was calling him, telling me that his phone was bad and could not be picked. I told him about my missing girl and asked if she ran to him. He told me that he did not see my daughter, asking me for the cause of her running from home. And he was even with me on that January 8 and saw how my girl refused to respond to the errand I sent her. He even cautioned me not to curse the girl, telling me that he usually gave her parental advice.

“From that time, we started searching for her, to the point that I became so troubled. The prophet would even come to my shop to ask if she called me. At a point, he stopped coming. His wife also came to comfort me, praying that everything would turn out well.

“On Sunday, February 25, I was at home with my husband when my phone rang. The caller was my daughter. I cried and asked her where she had been that gave me worries. She apologised profusely and said that she just regained her senses. She said that I should not let the prophet know and that I should not call her through the number she used to get me.

“With my sister, I traced her to where she said she was at Kajola area and she came out to see us. We also got to the church where she had been staying since she left home. I learnt that my church leader told the other prophet that my daughter had to observe a retreat, but couldn’t do it in his church according to the message from God.

“I asked our daughter how she got to the church she had been staying since she fled home, and she told me that it was our Prophet who kept her there. I saw her protruding belly and asked her who was responsible. She responded that it was our Prophet. I also asked her why she did not call us and she replied that the Prophet begged her not to, as it would destroy his ministry.”

When asked why the case of the missing girl was not reported at the police station initially, she said that she didn’t want a situation whereby the Prophet would be picked and would be found faultless on the return of the girl.

On how her relationship with the cleric began, the pregnant girl said: “The Prophet told me that he liked me and could see fortune in my spirit being. I told him I could not have a relationship with him because he is old enough to be my father. However, he told me to discountenance that, as he would deal with me with maturity.

“He started having sex with me three years ago. He used to take me to uncompleted building to have fun with me.

“When I got pregnant and my father noticed that I used to vomit, the Prophet told me to leave home so that he would not be exposed.”

The PPRO said that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, had directed the case to be transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit for further investigation. (Saturday Tribune)

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