–He raped me five time, 13-year-old alleges
–Suspect allegedly gave N120,000 to abort truth

By Samuel Oyadongha,Yenagoa

It began like every other Sunday, with songs, prayers, and hope.

Inside a small worship centre in Okutukutu, a suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the congregation sat in rapt attention as the music softened and their pastor stepped onto the altar. It was a day set aside for thanksgiving, a Sunday of victory.

With his wife standing beside him, the pastor, identified simply as Kelley, an indigene of Ojobo in Delta State, took the microphone and broke into testimony. His voice swelled with confidence, echoing off concrete walls as he praised God for delivering him from “enemies” — those, he claimed, plotting to bring him and his church down.

“Amen,” rippled through the pews. Hands lifted. Eyes closed in devotion.

Contrary view

To many, it was a triumphant moment, a performance of faith and righteousness.

But to one woman in the congregation, it sounded like something else entirely.

Each word felt like a taunt. Each step the pastor took across that altar was a blade twisting in her chest. She watched this man of God testify about enemies while the blood of her family was still fresh on his hands.

She did not raise her hand. She did not shout “Amen.”

She simply rose from her seat, walked out of the church, and headed straight for the police station.

Cracking of a world

Her world had come crashing down long before that Sunday.

Her daughter, just 13 years old, a cheerful, obedient girl who helped with chores and ran errands without complaint, had missed her monthly flow.

At first, the mother thought nothing of it. The body of a growing girl can be unpredictable, she thought.

But days passed, then weeks, and the child grew quieter.

When the frightened girl finally found the courage to speak, her mother’s blood ran cold.

The man she trusted to lead her family spiritually — the husband of her own sister and pastor of the church she had just left — had allegedly been preying on her daughter.

Girl opens up

The young girl sat before investigators from the Women Against Gender-Based Violence unit and recounted her ordeal.

She alleged that the pastor had sexually abused her multiple times and later gave money to terminate the pregnancy.

When the mother, heartbroken and furious, confronted the pastor and her own sister, she said she found no remorse.

According to police sources and activists, she was instead met with a chillingly pragmatic solution: silence. She was allegedly handed ₦120,000 to procure an abortion for her daughter. After a scan confirmed the pregnancy, the procedure was reportedly carried out — a physical and emotional wound meant to bury the truth.

The family, bound by blood and shame, tried to persuade her to let it go.

“Don’t destroy God’s house,” they pleaded.

For a while, the mother remained silent, carrying a burden too heavy for words.

Pastor arrested

Then came that Sunday service.

As the pastor stood on the altar, his voice booming with gratitude for deliverance from “enemies,” the mother watched in disbelief.

For her, watching a man she accused of violating her child and allegedly paying for an abortion to cover it up, his triumphant testimony became the final, unbearable insult.

There was no enemy trying to bring him down, only the truth he had tried to bury.

She left the church and headed straight to the Ekeki Police Division.

When the police arrived at the church to make the arrest, the pastor, in a moment of panic that betrayed his guilt, slipped out through the back door. His wife was not so lucky; she was taken into custody.

Later, perhaps realising the net was closing in, the pastor surrendered.

News of the arrest sent shockwaves through the community. At the police station, small clusters of church members gathered, their faces a mixture of disbelief and despair.

The pressure

The victim’s mother, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that she had been under pressure to withdraw the case, citing family ties and calls for forgiveness after making her grievances known.

However, informed sources attributed her apparent change of heart to alleged financial inducements from the pastor’s family.

She said: “Although I am not happy over what happened, he was supposed to act as a father. I have forgiven him.”

Residents speak

Reacting to the incident, a mother of four and resident of the Borrow Pit area of Okutukutu, who simply gave her name as Madam Tokere, lamented:

“Our society is quickly degenerating into a hub of paedophiles. I commend the courage of the victim’s mother for speaking up.

“Many victims of sexual abuse are dying in silence because their parents are not bold enough to report such cases for fear of stigmatisation.”

Another resident, Broderick Tari, added:

“It is disturbing when people misuse positions of trust, like religious leadership, for harmful purposes. The police should ensure that justice takes its course in this matter.”

Police wade in

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, CP Iyamah Edebor, has directed that the matter be transferred to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough investigation.

National President of the Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence and founder of Do Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Harry, revealed the behind-the-scenes pressure the mother now faces.

She said: “The mother wants justice, but relatives from both sides are seeking an amicable settlement.

“We also want justice for the child. We are calling on the Corporate Affairs Commission to revoke the licence of that pastor if he is found culpable, as he lacks the moral capacity to be a teacher in the vineyard of God.”

Sources further disclosed that there are ongoing moves to persuade the woman financially to withdraw the case.

It was also learned that the victim’s father, currently in detention in Port Harcourt, is unable to assist from afar.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, said: “Investigation is ongoing,” and declined further comment.

The incident has again raised concerns about child safety and vulnerability in the community, with residents urging authorities to prosecute the case to ensure accountability and deter similar crimes.