Francis Ogwu, a 65-year-old pastor, has been handed over to police after allegedly defiling his seven-year-old domestic help.
Ogwu, the culprit, was detained after worried community residents raised an alarm.
Miss Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, media aide to the Anambra Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, said this in a statement to journalists in Awka on Thursday.
The suspect, a pastor and general overseer of Jesus House of Joy Church in Awka, is from Imo State.
He has resided in Anambra with his wife and children for more than 30 years.
Ogwu confessed to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, that he “just fingered the girl once.”
He denied charges of penetration, contradicting what the seven-year-old victim stated.
Ogwu ascribed his actions to temptation, claiming that his wife frequently refused him sex and would make excuses about fasting anytime he desired her.
Meanwhile, the seven-year-old, who told her version of the incident, claimed the suspect had carnal knowledge of her on three occasions.
She told the Commissioner that her guardian, Ogwu, generally handed her money ranging from N500 to N1,000 after each experience.
She also said that the pastor’s wife accused her of taking the husband from her.
The girl stated that what pushed her to quit was the beating she received from the suspect’s daughter for the smallest mistake.
Destiny Nwabueze, the victim’s mother and an Awka native, revealed that she gave her daughter to the Ogwu family since they had a good relationship throughout the years.
Nwabueze stated that she was astonished when her daughter returned and informed her of the event.
She stated that she immediately called the pastor, who rejected the charges upon arriving, prompting her to implicate others by raising an alarm.
Obinabo responded to the terrible occurrence by saying she would guarantee the seven-year-old received justice.
The Commissioner recommended women to remain watchful about their spouses’ behaviours.
She also encouraged ladies to quit depriving their husbands of sex, as this may lead to poor behaviour in some men.
Obinabo, who urged women to protect their girl children at all costs, stated that defilement was no longer tolerated in Anambra State.
Ogwu was detained by police while the case was being handled in court.
