Pastor arrested for raping church member during deliverance

A Pastor in charge of Life and Power Bible Church, Ogijo, Ogun State, Pastor Mathew Oladapo, has been arrested by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command for forcefully having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 19-year-old member of the church (name withheld).

The spokesman of the Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, revealed this in a statement he issued on Wednesday morning.

Oyeyemi said Oladapo was arrested following a report lodged at Ogijo Divisional Police Headquarters by the victim.

She reported that while attending church service on February 20, 2022, the Pastor told her that he saw a vision that she is having a spiritual husband, which she needed to be delivered of.

She stated further that Oladapo told her she will undergo three nights of fasting and prayer in the church for total deliverance.

In addition, she was asked to come to the church with a N1,000 note and anointing oil.

But on the first night of the fasting and prayer, she was taken to a room within the church where the pastor ordered her to pull off her clothes and undies and lay down on a piece of cloth on the floor, which she did.

While lying on the floor, the pastor started rubbing the anointing oil on her body and inserted his finger into her private part.

When she protested, Oladapo pinned her down, covered her mouth and forcefully had sex with her, claiming that it was the only way to break bond between her and the spirit husband.

Upon the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo Division, CSP Onatufe Umoh, quickly detailed his detectives to the scene, where the randy pastor was promptly arrested.

On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime, but claimed to have been overwhelmed by the spirit.

The Command’s Commissioner, CP Lanre Bankole, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and diligent prosecution.