August 07, (THEWILL) – An Imo State High Court presided over by Justice T.N. Nzeukwu has sentenced a pastor, Desmond Eke, to eight years imprisonment for raping the wife of his church member.
Eke, who is the founder of Deliverance Ministry of the Good Shepherd, Umuihita Avu, Owerri West LGA Imo State, was found guilty of taking advantage of the woman who had vested so much trust in him.
The convict was tried on a three-count charge of raping the woman who is also a member of his church and administering a stupefying substance on his victim which made her dizzy and weak.
According to the prosecution counsel, Chioma Emuka, it was while in the dizzy state that Eke took advantage of the woman who woke up to consciousness while he was still inside her.
Emuka said on enquiry on why he had to violate her, the pastor told the 25-year-old woman that his semen was holy enough to deliver her of the marine spirit that was disturbing her.
Delivering his Judgement on the matter, Justice Nzeukwu convicted Eke on two count charges of breaching trust and raping the woman but discharged him on the third count which bothered on inflicting injuries during the rape.
The Judge reasoned that since the woman was not completely conscious during the incident, there was no way injuries could result since there was no resistance.
Before the sentence, the defence counsel, Barr. Ohaka, standing in for Nwaneri of Dauda chambers, pleaded that his client had been of good behaviour having been present in the court throughout the trial without jumping bail.
He pleaded that instead of a full sentence, his client be put on probation.
THEWILL reports that this is the first case to be prosecuted under the Violent Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in the State.
Recall that a civil society organisation, Onurube, had reported the matter with a pledge to follow it up to its logical conclusion.
Speaking on the case, the convener of Onurube, Marjorie Ezihe, lauded the court for convicting the pastor.
She believed the conviction would serve as a deterrent to those intending to indulge in such inhuman acts of seeking to have carnal knowledge of women without their consent.
