Police Arrests Pastor For Raping 16 Year Old, Six Rifles Found In Delta Church
The operatives of the Delta State Police Command have recovered six rifles from an uncompleted building on church premises in Asaba.
The resident pastor of the church, Fidelix Nwansa, was also arrested.
Nwansa, who is in charge of the Christ Holy Church, was nabbed for alleged gunrunning on the pretext of providing security for churches and hotels in the area alongside vigilante groups.
Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, told journalists on Thursday that the pastor’s arrest was made by his men two days earlier during a mop-up operation.
The CP stated, “Some people from across the Niger have started or are bringing in vigilantes and criminals to Delta State in the name of providing security for churches and hotels, forgetting the fact that it is illegal to do that because a vigilante from another state cannot come and operate in this state.
“Secondly, they are carrying sophisticated firearms. There is every indication that once they bring these people, they are also engaged in criminality. So, we have recovered six pump action rifles.”
Inuwa added that his operatives also arrested the head of a vigilante group, simply identified as Freeman.
Meanwhile, another case of rape happened barely 24 hours after the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, paraded 12 suspected rapists, including a pastor, one Prophet Nnamso Jacob of the Living Power of Zion Church has been arrested for a similar offence.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Nnudam Fredrick, on Thursday, said Jacob, who is the general overseer of the church, was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl.
The victim was said to have visited the prophet in the church located at Nduese Eduo, Okon Eket, in the Eket Local Government Area of the state for counselling and deliverance.
She was reportedly given an appointment by the pastor to come for spiritual adoption on June 23, 2020, and she was allegedly administered an intoxicating substance after which Jacob allegedly took advantage of her.
The statement read in part, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command, under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, has arrested another clergy, one Prophet Nnamso Friday Jacob, 35, who allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl.
“Investigation revealed that the victim previously visited the so-called prophet and General Overseer of the Living Power of Zion Church, situated at Ndue Eduo, Okon Eket, Eket LGA for counselling and deliverance, but was given an appointment by the suspect to report back on June 23, 2020, for spiritual adoption.
“Consequent upon the appointment, the victim visited the prophet on the scheduled date.
