The Ogun police command says its operatives have arrested Israel Adebayo, the general overseer of The Beloved Chapel, over alleged rape of a 14-year-old church member.
The police arrested the cleric, aged 38, following a complaint by the victim’s mother.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun police spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, said the victim’s mother initially refused to report the case to the police because she did not want to offend the cleric.
But she decided to report the case because the victim’s private part did not stop bleeding after the alleged rape incident in October 2021.
Oyeyemi added that the cleric confessed to committing the crime and that the victim is currently receiving treatment in a hospital over vaginal bleeding.
“The pastor, who is the General Overseer of The Beloved Chapel situated at No 9, Iyaniwura street, off Owonikoko street Agbado area of Ogun state was arrested following a complaint lodged at Agbado divisional headquarters by the mother of the victim,” the Ogun police spokesperson said.
“She reported that while she traveled to treat herself of a certain ailment, her daughter who happened to be a choir member in their church went to church and the pastor lured her into his room and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
“Upon the report, the DPO, Agbado division, detailed his detectives to the scene where the pastor was promptly arrested. On interrogation, the pastor, who admitted defiling the victim, pleaded for forgiveness.
“According to him, his family and that of the victim are so close and he didn’t know how and why such a thing happened to him.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect would have been arrested long ago, but the mother of the victim frustrated the move because she doesn’t want to offend her pastor.
“But when the victim is continuously bleeding from her private part since the incident which happened in October 2021, she was left with no other option than to allow police to come into the matter.”
On Friday, Michael Abiodun, a pastor of The Light House Gospel Church, also in Ogun state, was arrested over alleged rape of a 12-year-old church member.
