Prophet In Police Net Over S*x With House Maid

MICHAEL AKINOLA

There was twist over the alleged sexual abuse of a 20-year old house maid by a popular prophet, Joseph Enoch Apata of Vineyard Deliverance Ministry in his office located at Olamide Ibiaba Street, Oribanwa Bus Stop, Ajah area of Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Prophet Apata snubbed Police operatives from Family Support Unit, Ajuwe Division in Ajah, after several invitations and wrote a petition to Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, alleging that the victim, who was his housemaid, wanted to blackmail him by alleging that he raped her in his office located at the church premises where they also reside.

This happened after he was said to have given N200,000 to the house maid as compensation for the trauma he subjected her to for the two months he engaged her as house maid but she declined taking the money.

According to the victim, she was engaged as house maid two months ago and she started working for the Prophet and was paid her salary every month. 

She said on the day the incident happened, Prophet Apata asked her to come to his office and clean up the place. She innocently went and by then he was already in the office. She said while she was about to clean the office, he grabbed her. When she struggled and raised alarm, he held her neck, over powered her and had his way.

After the ugly incident, she contacted her relations and they went to the Church to confront the prophet. He pleaded and reportedly brought the money to compensate the victim.

However, the house maid was said to have rejected the money and reported to the Police for justice.

When Prophet Apata was invited by the Police, he refused to honour the invitation; rather he ran to the Zone 2 Police with a petition against the victim probably to cover his track.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that the house maid was summoned and subjected to all manners of intimidation. But she was resilient, was later asked to go and they told her that she will hear from them without any specific date.

What had been agitating the minds of the social workers and NGOs remains why Prophet Apata refused to honour Police invitation at Ajah but wrote petition to Zone 2 coupled with the money he was said to have offered to pay the victim. But it appeared that the Police do not really want to investigate the allegations against Prophet Apata. 

Every effort to reach Prophet Apata over the matter proved abortive and it remained unknown the next step the Police at Zone 2 will take over the matter.