One Samson Odeyemi, 38years old, a pastor in Celestial Church in the Igeobazuwa area has been arrested for raping a 40-year-old woman. The act was committed on the pretext of spiritual cleansing to solve a problem she had related to him.
According to Sunday Sun, the victim (name withheld) said: “I had a problem and needed a solution. When I got to Pastor Odeyemi, I narrated my problem to him and he promised to pray for me. Later he said I have to take a spiritual bath in the river for the problem to be solved. I accepted the advice. The following day, we went to the river. When we got there, he ordered me to remove all my clothes. Initially, I refused to undress, but he insisted that if I bathe with my clothes on, my problem would not be solved. When I undressed, Odeyemi dragged me to the side of the river and raped me. When I got home, I couldn’t sleep; later I felt sick and was convinced that what Pastor Odeyemi did to me was abomination.
“When I couldn’t bear it any longer, I had to inform my husband about the ugly incident. Immediately, we went to the police station in Benin City and reported the case. Pastor Odeyemi was arrested.”
Corroborating what the victim said, Odeyemi told Sunday Sun: “It is true that the victim came to me and she told me about her problem. In the process, the devil used me. I deceived her and took her to the river side and insisted that she must undress for the spiritual bath. Then I raped her; I told her it was through that process that her problem would be solved. I have been using this method to deceive several women and ladies by raping them at the riverside and I would tell them that their prayers had been answered. I want the victims to forgive me.”
Bothered by the felonious acts of these pastors, the Edo State Police Commissioner advised people to be wary of pastors they associate with and seek help from, stressing that many of them are like wolves in sheep’s clothing.
