A Rivers pastor was sentenced to seven years in prison and hard labour for defiling and getting a churchgoer’s adolescent daughter pregnant.
In the Ndele community, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, a 55-year-old pastor, Piler Erekwa, who leads the Glorious Covenant Church, has been sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor by the Rivers State Family Court. He was found guilty of defiling and impregnating a 15-year-old girl who happened to be a member of his church, along with her mother.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ogeh Elkanah, delivered the judgment on July 19, 2023, and ordered Pastor Erekwa to pay N500,000 to the victim’s family for the medical expenses incurred during her pregnancy. This payment will be made after he completes his prison sentence. The pastor had pleaded guilty to the charge of sexual abuse, which was brought against him by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Police Command.
It was reported that Pastor Erekwa had suggested terminating the pregnancy, but the girl’s family objected to it when they confronted him with the issue.
During the court proceedings, journalists were not allowed to cover the case, as the Chief Magistrate clarified that the Family Court operates differently from regular courts, and journalists must seek permission before reporting on matters from a family court.
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