By JOY KAKA

A businesswoman, Mrs Loveth Oyakhilome, told an FCT High Court in Kubwa that a 34-year-old church usher, Patrick Ekene defiled her eight-year-old daughter.

Ekene is charged by the police on one count of rape.

Oyakhilome,who, was led in evidence by the Prosecution Counsel, John Ijagbemi said the defendantcalled her in February, 2020, explaining that he had been sleeping in church because he did not have accommodation.

”The defendant begged me to accommodate him in my house for a short while of which Ispoke to my husband and he agreed and we accommodated him in one of our guest rooms.

”He moved in March 2020, then towards August he called my attention that he wanted to go on ministration to be ordained as a pastor in a church in Utako, then he moved out of my house finally.

”I left my four children sleeping in the room and Informed the defendant who was sleeping in the parlour that I will be a little while after attending a sanitation exercise in church.

“I returned home 30 minutes later and knocked at the door but no one answered. I pushed the door open and the defendant told me that he was in the guest room and didn’t hear me.

“I went to the kitchen, looked for my daughter and found her in a corner.

“My daughter told me that the defendant put something in her private parts, ” Oyakhilome said.

The witness said she ran to the defendant and asked what he did to her daughter but he denied and swore by the Bible.

She said shetook her daughter to the hospital and upon examination, the doctor confirmed that she was defiled.

After to the testimony, Justice Bello Kawu, adjourned the matter until Feb.11 for cross-examination. (NAN)