By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

A 45-year-old pastor identified simply as Lucky has been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in Ihuaje community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The arrest was carried out by members of a local security outfit known as the ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee (OSPAC), led by its Commander, Precious Ihuruzu.

It was gathered that Ihuruzu led his team to the community after receiving information about the incident. The suspect, who is also the pastor of a local church branch, was apprehended and handed over to the Ahoada Police Division.

Dennis Otobo, a member of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, said he was contacted by the gender desk of the State Ministry of Health to follow up on the case, which he agreed to do.

“In the course of my investigation, I discovered that Pastor Lucky (surname withheld), who is also the proprietor of a private group of schools in Ihuaje community, had been sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl under his care,” Otobo stated.

He explained that the abuse came to light when the girl’s parents visited her at the pastor’s house. “She told them what she had been going through, revealing that each time he abused her, he gave her N500 to keep quiet,” he said.

The parents immediately took the girl to the hospital for preliminary medical checks.

“At that point, I contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for assistance. The DPO told me to bring them in on Sunday and promised to handle the matter professionally. He kept his word because, as we speak, the pastor is in custody at the Ahoada Police Station,” Otobo added.

He commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekeakita, OSPAC, and human rights advocate Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, for their efforts in facilitating the arrest.

Otobo also called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation and, if the suspect is found guilty, ensure he is prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the pastor’s arrest, stating that it followed a complaint of alleged defilement filed by the girl’s parents.

“Yes, I can confirm his arrest. The pastor is in our custody here at the Command. We received a complaint from the girl’s parents, and our officers, in collaboration with a local vigilante group, apprehended him. Investigation is ongoing,” she said.