How Assemblies Of God Pastor R-aped, Threatened Me For 2 Years – 13-Year-Old Girl Narrates
Rev. Chukwuemeka Orji (60 years old) is a pastor of the Assemblies of God Church situated at #12 Ukonu Street, Off Ngwa road, Aba, Abia state where they are also resident.
Rev. Orji and his wife, Rev (Mrs) Chukwuemeka once served at the Ugwunagbo branch of the church, following which the victim was handed over to them by her family to help in taking care of their only child (now 6 years old), while they in turn, take care of the victim’s education.
The 13-year old has been living with the couple for 3 years, out of which Rev. Orji has molested her for 2 years.
According to the victim, during the first year, he continuously pestered her with sexual demands. Her refusal during the first year led to a forceful defilement last year, after which it became a regular act. The serial rape was always accompanied with a threat to send her back to the village (which the vulnerable victim is afraid of) and also deal with her family if she discloses his inhuman act to anyone.
The victim could not remember the number of times he had forced himself on her but revealed that she had reported to Rev (Mrs). Chukwuemeka who took no action to protect the child after her husband denied the act.
Mrs. Chukwuemeka confessed that she usually leaves home very early to the market. The victim takes the responsibility of preparing the 6-year old, and going to school with her. According to the victim, Orji would command her to drop the child at school and return to the house whenever he wanted to have sex with her. Every attempt to “disobey” is followed with a threat to send her packing the next day and also deal with her family.
In his usual attempt to forcefully have sex with the victim who calls him “Daddy” in the morning of Thursday, June 15, 2023 he discovered that she was menstruating. Thereafter, he forced the child to carry out oral sex on him. Unsatisfied with her performance, he sent her to weed grasses at a farm within the church premises (as a punishment) before she could go back to school.
Disgusted over the oral sex, she cried to school and reported to her class teacher who went ahead to notify the proprietor of the ugly report.
As a good Nigerian, the proprietor put a call across and reported the matter to Onyinyechi Joy Nwosu, the Executive Director of Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI), a member of the ONURUBE coalition and member of the Abia State Gender-Based Violence Response team. She got the police involved and equally notified relevant stakeholders about the case.
Rev Orji was arrested and detained. He was arraigned at a magistrate court in Aba South L.G.A on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 and remanded in prison custody.
Onyinyechi Joy Nwosu
