Winners’ Chapel pastor raped me when I was seven years old, teenager tells court

Rape

A 14-year-old told an FCT High Court, Maitama, on Thursday that Pastor Emmanuel Matthew of the Winners Chapel raped her when she was 7 years old in 2012.

Pastor Matthew was the proprietor of a school, Emmabeth Academy, Mpape, Abuja, which the victim attended in 2012.

The girl, who said this while testifying as the fifth prosecution witness, explained that the pastor forcefully put his fingers in her private part, and had carnal knowledge of her school mate who was also a minor.

She claimed that Matthew also defiled her elder sister who was 9 years old at the time.

She said: “I was in school and Pastor Emmanuel took me inside his office and put his fingers into my private part severally.

“He did that to me and my senior sister and the other girl. He later gave my sister N10’’.

When interrogated further by the prosecutor, Ejike Orji, the victim said the defendant went ahead to remove his trouser and inserted his penis into the private part of the other girl.

Matthew was arraigned in 2012 with six counts bordering on inducement and rape.

The said offences contravene the provisions of sections 283 and 285 of the Penal Code.

Mr Orji said the defendant took advantage of his closeness with the victim, her sister and a school mate who were all minors, to defile them.

Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf adjourned until May 30 for continuation.