The mother of a 17-year-old daughter, who was sexually abused by a pastor, Chris Omosokpea yesterday testified before the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court.
The mother (name withheld) told the court that Omosokpea, of Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Oshodi, Lagos, committed the alleged offence under the pretext of going for gospel ministration with the survivor.
The defendant is facing a nine-count charge bordering on defilement, rape and sexual assault by penetration.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The witness, who described herself as a businesswoman, testified that the defendant had sexual intercourse with her daughter on different occasions between 2017 and 2020 in the guise of taking her out for gospel ministration.
While being led in evidence by the state Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, she stated that the defendant started sexually abusing her daughter when she was 13 years old.
The witness said that the defendant had sex with the survivor at the back of his church and in different hotels on several occasions.
She also told the court that the defendant burst into tears after she confronted him for defiling her daughter and blamed it on the devil.
She said, “Pastor Omosokpea will come to my house and ask my daughter to follow him for evangelism and ministration to use her talent as a chorister to bless others.
“Unknown to me, according to my daughter, when he takes her out for ministration, he will branch into a hotel and have sex with her and when I confronted him with some leaders in the church, he said he was being deceived by the devil and told me to forgive him,” she said.
The witness said that she recorded her conversations and the defendant as well as her alleged confession on her phone.
“The pastor, who I trusted so much with my family and see as my spiritual father, entered my house anytime I was not around to have sex with my daughter.
“My daughter told me Pastor Mcdouglas will sneak into the house while I was not around, cover the curtains, cover her mouth and force himself on her.
“My daughter said when he sees that she wants to shout to attract our neighbours, the pastor will now bring out the fairly used clothes that I sell and pretend to be selecting from it,” she said.
Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case until February 8 for the continuation of trial.
