The police in Ogun State have arrested a cleric, Ebenezer Ajigbotoluwa, for allegedly raping and impregnating two underage sisters and defrauding their mother of two million naira.
The police introduced Ajigbotoluwa as a prophet and the general overseer of Church of Lord, Olomore in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The police spokesperson in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Sunday, said the suspect was arrested following a report by the mother of the victims (name withheld) at Lafenwa police station.
The complainant said her ordeal began in 2018 after she was taken to Mr Ajigbotoluwa’s church for spiritual healing from an ailment.
The police said the pastor asked the woman to relocate her entire family of six to the church premises to avoid being afflicted with the same sickness, adding that the prophet soon started having sex with the patient’s 16-year-old and 13-year-old daughters, unknown to their mother.
Mr Oyeyemi said after Mr Ajigbotoluwa impregnated the two minors, he procured abortion for them at a private clinic. He said the prophet also collected N2 million from the family for “spiritual cleansing.”
“Upon the report, the DPO Lafenwa division CSP Muraina Ayilara, led his men to the church but the place has been deserted. The CP then directed that the suspect be hunted for and brought to book. In compliance with the CP,s directive, the DPO and his men embarked on intelligence and technical-based investigation, and their efforts paid off when the prophet was arrested on the 6th of August 2020 at about 5 a.m,” the police spokesperson said
He said on interrogation, the suspect confirmed most of the allegations levelled against him and that it was the reason he ran away when he heard that the police were looking for him.
The police said assorted charms were also recovered from Mr Ajigbotoluwa’s home.
Mr Oyeyemi said the commissioner of police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the suspect to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
Mr Ajogun also warned those hiding under the umbrella of religion to perpetrate evil to desist from it or meet their Waterloo. He also appealed to members of the public to beware of criminals masquerading as men of God.
