By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—A pastor and his wife have been arrested by the police in Bayelsa State over allegations of raping a 13-year-old girl, a relative of the wife, in Yenagoa.

The arrest occurred during Sunday service, with the pastor initially escaping through the back door, but later submitted himself to police after his wife was taken into custody.

According to eyewitnesses, the pastor allegedly had carnal knowledge of the girl in the church premises and at his home.

The victim reportedly told investigators and members of the Women Against Gender based Violence and Do Foundation that the abuse happened five times from November 2025, whenever she was sent to deliver a local bread known as ‘madiga’ to the pastor’s wife.The victim said: “My mother asked me to deliver ‘madiga’ to the Pastor’s wife and she was not around. The pastor asked me to come inside and deliver it. He locked the church door and raped me. I screamed but he didn’t stop.“It happened five times on different occasions whenever my mother sent me to their house. I was afraid to tell my mother. Not until I could not see my monthly flow before I told my mother.”It was learned that the mother, who confronted the pastor and the wife, was convinced by her sister not to destroy God’s house and was reportedly handed N120,000 to procure an abortion for her child, which she did after a scan.However, it was learned that trouble started during one of the church services in which the accused pastor and his wife were heard on the altar thanking God that they have defeated the enemies that were out to bring the husband and the church down.The mother of the victim later reported the incident to the Ekeki police division after feeling upset by the pastor’s public display of gratitude in the church .She also contacted the complaint unit of the National Association of Women Against Gender based Violence led by Dise Harry.A visit to the Ekeki Police Division showed few church members at the police station discussing the development.Contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Iyamah Edebor, confirmed the development.He assured that the Ekeki Division had been directed to transfer the case to the gender unit of the command for proper investigation and prosecution.
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