A 65-year-old pastor, Mr. Francis Ogwu, has been handed over to the police for defiling his seven year old domestic help in Awka, Anambra State
The suspect Ogwu was arrested following an alarm raised by concerned residents of the town.
The suspect identified as Mr. Francis Ọgwụ, from Imo State, is a pastor and general overseer of Jesus House of Joy Church, Awka, but has lived with his wife and children in Anambra for over 30 years.
Mr. Ọgwụ confessed to the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, that he “just fingered the girl once” and denied other allegations of peneration as against what the seven year old victim said.
On why he defiled the child, the suspect explained that he was tempted because his wife usually gives excuses that she’s fasting whenever he wants to have quality time with her.
Meanwhile, the seven year old survivor who narrated her side of the story told the Honourable Commissioner that her guardian Mr Ogwu has had carnal knowledge of her three times of which he usually gives her money ranging from 500 naira to one thousand naira after each experience.
She also said that at some point, she was accused by her oga’s wife of snatching the husband from her revealing that what prompted her to leave was the beating she got by the suspects’s daughter over irrelevant issue.
Speaking, the mother of the victim, a native of Awka, Destiny Nwabueze, stated that she handed the daughter over to the Ogwu family due to the relationship they’ve had over time but was shocked when her daughter returned to her and told her of the development.
She revealed that she quickly called the suspect, who upon arrival denied the allegations, which prompted her to involve other persons by raising alarm.
Reacting to the ugly incident, the Women and Social Welfare Boss, Obinabo vowed to see that the seven year old gets the deserved justice and adviced women to always be vigilant and stop sex starving their husband as that could lead to bad behaviors of some men.
Hon Obinabo, who charged women to always protect their girl child at all cost, noted that defilement is no longer excusable in Anambra State.
Later, the family of the suspect stampeded the office of the Honourable Commissioner, pleading for pardon, but was asked to head to the police as the case would be charged to court
