The Edo State Police Command,
yesterday, paraded 26 suspected criminals including a pastor identified as
Philips Ogbebor, alleged to have had carnal knowledge of a 20-year-old male
member of his church (names withheld).
After the act, the pastor allegedly
threatened to kill his victim if he disclosed the act to the public.
Speaking to newsmen, Pastor Ogbebor simply said: “God will judge, go and
talk to others” and kept on mumbling.
But his victim narrated his ordeal:
“I told him I have never done this since I grew up, but he insisted. It was
painful and I told him I will not allow it again. So after the second attempt,
I told him I will expose the act. He then administered an oath on me, saying if
I ever told anyone, I will die.
“He carried sand and olive oil and
poured them on my head, then he wore black garment, saying I will die if I ever
leaked the secret. He killed a black fowl and gave me the liver and gizzard to
eat at about 2 a.m., threatening that if I ever said it out, I will die like
the fowl.
“But when I realised that it is a
sin, I met a man of God to pray for me that God should forgive me and that I am
ready to expose it since he forced me. There after I went to the church and
told the congregation about the act. When he heard it, he threatened me by
sending his younger brother and members of his gang after me. Since then I have
been running.”
Other suspects paraded
The state Police Commissioner,
Folusho Adebanjo, explained that among the suspects were two suspected cultists
believed to have participated in the recent rival cult clash in the state and
seven suspected pipeline vandals and operators of illegal refineries.
Others were two suspected robbers,
from whom a Toyota Camry car they stole at gunpoint in Kaduna State was
recovered; a suspect who was alleged to have demanded N20 million ransom from
one Joseph with death threats and three others whom the police boss said were
in possession of firearms without licence were also paraded.
There was also an alleged case of
rape against two suspects who were said to have dragged a 20-year-old female
victim into the bush. He also paraded five persons including a middle aged
woman all from Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government council accused of burning to
death, one Funmi Abiodun on allegation of being a witch responsible for the
death of a relation.
According to him, “the war against
criminality is relentlessly being waged against men of the underworld. The
command is not leaving any stone unturned regarding crime and criminality in
Edo State.
“This man who claimed to be a pastor
defiled a young person. Another thing that is so common here and I don’t know
why this defilement issue is so prevalent.
“I wonder if there is something about
it. You see very old men defiling young girls who are five years, two years, and
and so on. We are not going to tolerate this and cases of rape are also
increasing too but we will go all out to make sure that they are convicted.”
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