A principal and pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church in Ondo State, Adetunji Obatayo, has been remanded in the correctional centre for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old student.

Obatayo, 55, was remanded by the Akure Division of Magistrates’ Family Court in the state, on Wednesday.

The accused, who is a principal of a private school in Oka Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area of the state, was accused of procuring an abortion for the victim.

He was charged with three counts of defilement, unlawfully prescribing drugs to procure abortion and killing an unborn child of the victim in his custody.

Obatayo was said to have committed the offence sometime in February 2020 at Epinmi-Akoko, Akoko South-East local government area.

Police prosecutor, Folashade Adesuyi, informed the court that the defendant molested the victim.

Adesuyi said the offences, according to the charge, contravened Sections 218, 230 and 328 of the Criminal Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

He said that the victim’s confession led to the arrest of the defendant.

The victim, in her narration before the court, said she was placed under the guardian of the cleric by her parents when she was 10 years old.

“Four years ago, my parents released me to live with the pastor (Obatayo) due to his desire to train me. On my first day in his house, he forcefully had s3xual intercourse with me and told me not to tell anyone about it.

“He had impregnated me thrice and he gave me N5,000 to buy some contraceptive drugs to abort the pregnancy after many preventive drugs.

“But during the third pregnancy, he refused to give me money for the drug, and I stole his money to buy the pills. Pastor later accused me of stealing his money for my boyfriend which led to the arrest of a boy in our school and I informed my parents about it,” she told the court.

The Presiding Magistrate, B. A. Alphonso, ordered the cleric to be remanded at the Correctional Centre and directed the case file be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

The victim was ordered to be taken in for rehabilitation till further notice and the case was adjourned to August 29, for mentioning. (Daily Trust)

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