Court jails randy senior Pastor 7 years for rape
By Andrew Orolua, Abuja
Justice Hussain Baba-Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday sentenced Senior Pastor Basil Princewill whose original name is (Friday Ifeanyi) the Founder and General Overseer of Mountain Mover Fire Ministry International, Nyanya Abuja to seven years imprisonment for raping a 14-year old girl, Favour Iwuoha.
Delivering judgement on the four count charge, the court found Pastor Princewill guilty on counts 1 and 3, but discharged and acquitted him on counts 2 and 4.
It convicted him and accordingly sentenced the convict to seven years imprisonment for rape and five years for attempted abortion .
Justice Yusuf held that ”it is bad for a person to indulge in this kind of devilish act.
”Those who are supposed to be men of God are expected to be highly religious, exhibit decency and act as role models to their followers.
He said that considering the interest of the girl, the interest of the public and the rising cases of rape in the Church by those who serve in the Lord’s vineyard, the court has duty to send signal to the public to serve as deterrent to others.
Justice Baba Yusuf said the behaviour of the randy pastor was ”despicable, shameful, degrading and satanic”.
”By this conduct, the accused deserves to be taken to prison wall like a monastery until he changes to a better man of God.
It is more worrisome especially when a person in question is looked up to as a man of God.
Consequently, the court sentenced Pastor Princewill to 7 years imprisonment for raping and defiling a 14 year girl (Favour) and 5 years sentence for attempting to abort the resultant pregnancy. He said however that the sentences are to run concurrently.
Count one bordered on rape while count three was borders on his attempt to cause miscarriage on the girl, by giving her drugs to take in order to abort the resultant pregnancy.
The incident took place on July 27, 2011 to 31st December 2011.
Pastor Princewill was arraigned on an amended charge dated 22nd September 2017.
Justice Baba Yusuf, said that from the evidence of PW1 (the victim’s Mother); that of PW2 (the victim) and the PW3 (Dr Ogunlade Felix), the accused perpetrated the act of rape ”under the pretence of carrying out deliverance and cleansing on the girl on July 27, 2011.
The court said it believed the evidence of PW1 (victim mother), PW2 (the victim)and PW3 Dr Ogunlade) who carried out the evacuation because, ”the PW2 was very detailed on what happened to her in the accused pastor’s office and same evidence was corroborated by PW1.
”I am impressed by the testimonies of PW1 and PW2; I believe PW2’s story of how the accused raped her.
”The accused did not deny the fact that he invited the 14-year girl to his office for deliverance and cleansing and the fact that he gave postnor to the girl to take, the court said.
According to Justice Baba Yusuf, ”I believe PW2 that on July 27, 2011, the Pastor in the guise of deliverance, took advantage of the girl by having sex with her.
The court noted that the act of ”slapping the girl constitutes act of threat to hurt her.
Justice Baba Yusuf said the fact that the accused took Favour to Fountain Head Medical Centre Nyanya without her mother consent was an indication that he knew something about the pregnancy.
More so, the court said it did not believe the testimony of the accused, stressing that apart from being full of contradiction, it was different from the testimony he gave at the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) office .
”I find it difficult to believe the accuse person’s incoherency, riddle puzzled testimony.
”Evidence of PW1 about what PW2 told her is direct and positive evidence, and not hearsay.
”Defence of the accused is not tenable and is therefore rejected. Prove of case of rape against the accused is sustained, the court held.
Count one said, ”That you Pastor Basil Princewill ‘Male’ 33 years of No. 5 Movers Avenue Nyanya , Abuja on or about 27th JUN, 2011 to 31st, December, 2011 at Mountain Mover Fire Ministry International and your house in Nyanya, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court raped one Miss Favour Iwuoha ‘female’ 14 years
by forcefully having sexual intercourse with her against her consent having put her in fear of hurt and when you impregnated her, you gave her drugs to take and abort the pregnancy but when the drug caused her bleeding, you took her to Fountain Head Medical Centre Nyanya where you paid Dr Felix Ogunlade to procure abortion on her and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 282 and punishable under section 283 of the Penal Code.
Count three states, ”That you Apostle Basil Princewill ‘Male’ 33 Years of No.5 Movers Ayenue Nyanya Abuja on or about January, 2012, at Nyanya within the Jurisdiction of this court, attempted to cause miscarriage When you gave miss Favour Iwuoha Female, 14years drugs to take and abort the pregnancy you gave her which resulted to her bleeding with knowledge that miscarriage will be the consequence of your act
and thereafter you took her to Fountain Head Medical Centre Nyanya where you paid Money and miscarriage was carried out on her. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 95 of the Penal Code.
