Church Worker Rapes 11-Yr Old Girl At Vigil

A church worker who allegedly raped an 11-year old girl inside the church during a night vigil has been arrested by the police and charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for rape.

The accused, Ameh Joseph, a worker at the Watchman Charismatic Renewal Movement, Igando district, Lagos State, was said to have not only raped the victim at the church premises but also pursued the little girl to her parents’ residence at 8, Sanctuary Street, Akesan and raped her again.

Luck, however, ran out on him at the residence as he was caught and handed over to the policemen at the Igando police station.

Narrating her ordeal to P.M.NEWS, the victim said she was four times, two at the church premises during the night vigil and the others at her parents’ residence.

The sordid act was revealed when the girl started crying because of the pains she suffered during the act. This attracted the attention of a neighbour who went to the apartment to know what was happening.  The neighbour discovered that the victim had been raped and reported the incident to her mother when she returned from the church.  The mother reported the matter at the police station and the accused was arrested. He reportedly confessed molesting the girl  four times.

He was charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for rape, an offence punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code, Cap.17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 and two responsible sureties.

The magistrate, Mrs. Maimunat Folami ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood brother and must show evidence of means of livelihood, including payment of tax.

The matter has been adjourned till 14 December, 2009 for definite trial while the defendant was ordered to be remanded in prison custody because he could not meet the bail conditions.