Lagos cleric remanded in custody for alleged rape

The pastor of a Pentecostal church in Onpanu, Lagos, Abraham Olaluwoye, has been jailed for allegedly raping a 27-year-old lady (name withheld).

The survivor he spoke to City toursaid the incident occurred on September 16, when she was called by the cleric to come to church so he could help her get a job.

She said: ‘When I told my parents and brother, they told me not to go. That Monday afternoon, when I went to get water, I saw Pastor Abraham and I greeted him and went on my way, but later I saw his missed calls on my phone.

“When I called him back, I told him I was busy, but he ordered me to come to his office now that he had found a job for me. When I got there, I went to his school office and saw a church member there. When the pastor came in, he started talking to me about something else: he’s been watching me and he likes me.

“I told him I don’t date married men or preachers and that we needed to talk about the job he asked me to come for. He said he would give me a scholarship, that he has known me since I was young. He asked the brother to go buy me soft drinks and meat, and he started touching his private part. I felt uncomfortable and got up to leave his office. Suddenly he pushed me against the wall and raped me.”

Olaluwoye allegedly tried to rape the lady the second time when she went to the office toilet but she resisted him and also allegedly tried to give her N4,000 which she rejected.

The survivor said although the matter was reported to the Police Command Area ‘D’ in Mushin on the second day, they later withdrew the case from there when they demanded N100,000 to arrest the suspect.

“We subsequently reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Agency and the matter was charged to court by the Gender Unit. Pastor Abraham is now in prison until November 5, 2024.”

When our correspondent contacted Olaluwoye on October 10, he replied with a WhatsApp voice message promising to respond the next day.

“Please, I will respond to you tomorrow. Wait a minute, I will respond tomorrow by God’s grace,” he said.

However, at the time of filing this report, he has not responded to messages sent to him since then.