Police detectives in Ondo state command have arrested a prophet, Festus James, for allegedly raping an eight-month-old pregnant woman at Agbabu village via Ore, in Odigbo council area of Ondo state.
Parading the suspects alongside others in Akure, the command’s spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, said that the pregnant woman was aged 22 years.
According to Odunlami, the revivalist who came from Ibadan on a three-day revival allegedly raped the woman under the guise of performing deliverance on her.
She said “On the 13th November, 2021, one Festus James ‘m’ from Ibadan in Oyo State went to Agbabu village via Ore, claimed to be a Prophet and that the Holy Spirit directed him to have a 3 days Holy Ghost Revival in a Church in the village.
“The next day, the prophet claimed to have seen a vision concerning a 22 years old lady who was 8 months pregnant and told her to wait behind after the programme.
“She took the pregnant lady into one of the rooms in the mission house under the guise of delivering her from an evil spirit and had carnal knowledge of her. The suspect confessed to the commission of the crime.”
Speaking with newsmen, the suspect confessed to having sex with the woman and didn’t rape her.
Festus said, “l did not know what came over me when I was carrying out the ungodly act”.
Also, paraded was a commercial driver, Tochukwu Obasi, for conveying military uniforms to Anambra state.
The suspect was driving a Toyota Sienna bus marked UWNwn 505 ZL when he was arrested.
Items recovered from him include “a black sack containing ten pairs of military camouflage trousers, eight military camouflage jackets, nine pairs of military knee protector and nine pairs of military fez caps”.
Obasi said that he was given the sack by his colleague to deliver in Anambra state for a fee of N3500.
One Lawal Taiwo who falsely presented himself as military personnel and was arrested by soldiers at Okitipupa was also paraded.
Lawal said he was dismissed as a soldier some years ago and that he only wore the uniform to the wedding of his friend.
The police spokesman, Odunlami, said the suspects would soon be charged to court (Vanguard)