Peter Taiwo, a self-acclaimed pastor of Christ Apostolic Bible church, Alaja Oke, Saje, Abeokuta, has allegedly raped a 16-year-old chorister when she came to church for choir practice.
The said pastor was said to have been aided by his wife Elizabeth Taiwo, who reportedly locked the teenager up in the same room with her husband.
The reason for the woman’s involvement has remained a surprise to locals, who are wondering why a wife would help her husband in raping a victim.
But, while being interrogated by the police, the couple had confessed committing the crime, saying it was the devil’s handiwork.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Sunday, saying the suspects were nabbed on Friday, Decemeber 10.
Oyeyemi explained that a complaint had been lodged at Adatan divisional headquarters by the victim, who said, “while she went to the church for choir practice, the pastor’s wife called her and told her to go and meet the pastor in their room, saying the pastor wanted to send her on an errand.
“She stated further that as soon as she got into the room, the pastor’s wife locked the door from outside, consequent upon which the pastor overpowered her, and forcefully had sex with her.”
According to Oyeyemi, the pastor’s wife went into the room after her husband had already defiled the victim,.
“She met her crying and she told her to stop crying as she is now a woman,” warning her “never to tell anybody or else she will die.”
The DPO of Adatan division, SP Salaudeen Abiodun, had detailed his detectives to the scene to arrest the pastor and his wife.
“On interrogation, the couple confessed to the crime but blamed the devil for it. They also pleaded for forgiveness from the victim,” the PPRO said.
Reacting, the Ogun Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, directed that the suspects should be moved to the anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state CIID for further investigation, with a view to charging them to court.