The Rivers Police Command has arrested a clergyman simply identified as pastor Piler Erekwa for allegedly defiling and impregnating a minor in the state.
The Rivers State Police confirmed the pastor’s arrest through a statement issued by its spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko.
“Yes, we are aware of the incident. The suspect is in our custody and investigations are still ongoing,” Iringe-Koko said while confirming the incident.
The incident took place in the Ndele community of the Emohua Local Government Area (LGA) of the oil-rich state.
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It is said to have involved a 45-year-old pastor of a new-generation church known as the Gracious Covenant Church (GCC).
The pastor, Erekwa was the subject of a complaint by one Amesi ThankGod who is an in-law to the teenage girl.
According to ThankGod, both the girl and her mother attend Erekwa’s church.
He also said that the young girl is known to regularly visit the church premises especially when her mother leaves home for the farm.
“If her mother goes to the farm, the girl normally goes to the church to relax and returns in the evening,” ThankGod was quoted as saying by Channels Television.
“Then in the last few days, the girl started vomiting. My wife who is her elder sister took her for a medical examination. The result showed that she is pregnant,” he added.
ThankGod further issued a claim that Pastor Erekwa has been threatening the young girl’s life for exposing him.
According to him, his wife took the pregnant teenage girl to confront the pastor who reluctantly affirmed being the one responsible for her pregnancy.
ThankGod said that the clergyman, however, pleaded with the girl to get rid of the pregnancy.
“He said they should give her some drugs to flush the pregnancy so that the girl will be free but if we allow that, she may die and we have ourselves to blame,” he stressed.
The matter was thereafter reported to the Emohua Vigilante Society (EMOVIS) who picked up pastor Erekwa and in turn, handed him over to the Rumuji Police Division in Rivers state.
