A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced a 39-year-old pastor, Justice Aniele, to life imprisonment for raping and impregnating a 14-year-old orphan.
The girl is under the care of the cleric, who pastors the Assemblies of God Church in Amaji community in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state.
Aniele, it was learnt, committed the offence sometime in 2017, when he severally had unlawful carnal knowledge of the teenager and got her pregnant.
Delivering judgement on the case, the presiding judge, Justice Augusta Kingsley-Chuku, found Aniele guilty of taking advantage of the minor and having unlawful sexual intercourse with her, which resulted in the birth of a baby boy who later died.
Frowning that Aniele was not remorseful for his actions, as he attempted to abort the pregnancy more than once and for threatening to kill the victim if she revealed the truth to anyone, Justice Kingsley-Chuku said the offence was punishable under Section 32 (2) of the Rivers State Child Rights Law 2009 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Responding to the ruling, counsel representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Chisom Anyalebechi, expressed joy that the pastor was convicted for the crime.
“It will serve as a deterrent to others because many people are getting away with it and victims and their families are sometimes complicit,” she said.
