A principal and pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church in Ondo State, Adetunji Obatayo, has been remanded in the correctional center for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old student.
The accused, who is a principal of a private school in Oka Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area of the state, was accused of procuring an abortion for the victim.
The principal was charged with three counts of defilement, unlawfully prescribing drugs to procure abortion, and killing an unborn child of the victim in his custody.
Police prosecutor, Folashade Adesuyi, informed the court that the defendant (principal and cleric) molested the victim and the victim’s confession led to the arrest of the defendant
Adesuyi said the offences, according to the charge, contravened Sections 218, 230 and 328 of the Criminal Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
The victim, in her narration before the court, said she was placed under the guardian of the cleric by her parents when she was 10 years old. “Four years ago, my parents released me to live with the pastor (Obatayo) due to his desire to train me. On my first day in his house, he forcefully had sexual intercourse with me and told me not to tell anyone about it.
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“He had impregnated me thrice and he gave me N5,000 to buy some contraceptive drugs to abort the pregnancy after many preventive drugs.
The Presiding Magistrate, B. A. Alphonso, ordered the cleric to be remanded at the Correctional Centre and directed the case file be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
However, the victim was ordered to be taken in for rehabilitation till further notice and the case was adjourned to August 29, for mentioning.
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