MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 50-year old cleric, Pastor Linus Sunday, of the Christ Believers Assembly has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly defiling a 7-year old girl inside the church.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Aguda area of Lagos, where the church is located.
He has been charged before the Yaba Magistrate Court for defilement, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
The Police alleged that the man, Pastor Sunday, defiled the victim inside the church premises between December 2022 to February 2023 before the victim exposed him and informed her parents about what had been happening for the past three months in the church.
The matter was reported to the Police at Aguda Division. Pastor Sunday was arrested and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for further investigation over his alleged conduct.
During interrogation, he initially denied but the victim was brought before him and she narrated how he defiled her and warned her not to tell anyone including her parents. She said that she did not reveal it because she was afraid as he had warned her not to do so.
The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Court for the alleged offence under Section 137 of the Criminal Code of the State.
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P.E. Nwaka, ordered his remand in custody at the Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to made available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction