A pastor whose name was given as Chukwuma has been arrested by the police in Anambra for allegedly raping a 15-year-old student of a yet to be identified school.

It was learnt that the suspect who pastors in a new generation church in Ugama Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, lured the victim into the act feigning deliverance session.

Confirming the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Haruna Mohammed, said the case has been taken over by the police Public complaint response unit (PCRU) Abuja.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim, a Senior Secondary 1 student, said the suspect had promised to offset the remaining part of her school fees.

According to her, the brother who had been attending the church invited her and her mother to the church to experience miracles.

She said, “After booking an appointment with us for a deliverance session the following day, I was shocked when the pastor told me that I was observing my monthly menstrual period.

"My mother, a petty trader on that day told me to go to the pastor alone for the deliverance while she attended to her day’s business.Immediately I got to the church, the pastor asked me to go and wait for him close to an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) within the area.

“I actually went without suspecting any foul play, believing his intention was to cash the money for my school fees he had earlier promised to pay."

The victim said that the suspect came an hour later in his car, requesting she accompanied him to see some of his colleagues.

She added, "On our way, I started feeling dizzy and the next place I saw myself was in a hotel room where I saw blood stains on the bed sheets.

“It was then it dawned on me that he had drugged and raped me. As I screamed and wanted to leave, he held me and insisted I should enter his car to drop me off.

"I had to join the suspect in the car since I had no money on me. He pleaded with me not to disclose what happened with anyone, including my parents.

Continuing, she said she later had to open up to her family about the incident after several days of suffering psychological trauma which has ultimately affected her academic performance.

She added, "I find myself always getting moody which has made me restrict my interactions with peers.”

While calling for justice to be done, The visibly devastated girl said, “I want the full weight of the law to be meted on the pastor because I know he may have been into such dirty game. He can’t go unpunished.

Hope Okoye who is the Co-chairman, Anambra Child’s Right Implementation Committee while regretting the increasing rate of rape cases in the state, called for justice for the victim.

He said the Child’s Right Law 2004 of Anambra state should be used against the perpetrator and his likes, irrespective of who they may be.

Okoye urged police to ensure perpetrators of wickedness against children to face the law and also stop frustrating access to justice by promoting the ‘settlement’ ideology saying that the absence of it is the reason people are committing such acts as rape with impunity.

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