FOR his alleged rape of a minor, Pastor Ilesanmi Emmanuel of Christ Apostolic Church in Ado-Ekiti has been ordered by a Magistrate’s Court to be remanded in jail.
Magistrate Adefunke Ajibade ordered on Tuesday that Ajibade be remanded in prison custody pending the advice of the state Director of Public Prosecution.
Ajibade described the case as a pathetic one, especially as it involved a minor and a person that should be a father and shepherd of flock in a church.
Prosecutor Curtis Enabulele told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 12 at Ikere-Ekiti, where the pastor unlawfully had sexual intercourse with the minor, who is a member of his church which resulted to pregnancy.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 23(d) of the Child Rights Law of Ekiti State, 2007.
According to him, the duplicate case file has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution in the Ministry of Justice for advice.
The counsel to the accused, Mr. Oluwaseyi Adeniyi, urged the court to grant his client bail and assured that he would not jump bail.
The counsel to International Federation of Female lawyers, Ekiti Chapter, Mrs. Foluke Dada, opposed the application.
Dada said that bail if granted would be a threat to other children in the church and the society at large.
She told the court that the accused had threatened that the victim would die within seven days if she confessed to anyone that he raped her.
Ajibade adjourned the case to April 4, for further hearing.