Pastor Held in Custody for Sexually Assaulting a Minor, Termination of Unborn Child

Pastor Adetunji Obatayo, who serves as the head of Deeper Life Bible Church and also oversees the school, has been detained in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.

The victim, a 14-year-old student, became pregnant, and Obatayo allegedly arranged for an abortion.

Obatayo was brought before an Akure Magistrates’ Family Court on three charges related to sexual assault, unlawfully administering drugs to induce an abortion and resulting in the death of a fetus.

However, his defence was not considered.

It was reported that the incident occurred around February 2020 in Epinmi-Akoko, Akoko South-East Local Government Area.

The police prosecutor, Folashade Adesuyi, testified that Obatayo forced himself upon the victim.

The charges against him include violating Sections 218, 230, and 328 of the Ondo State Criminal Code, 2006.

Adesuyi mentioned that the victim’s confession played a role in Obatayo’s arrest.

Read Also: Sexual Assault: RCCG Pastor Trial Suffers Setback Due To Absence of Prosecution Witnesses

The victim shared her story with the court, explaining that she was under the care of Pastor Obatayo at the age of 10 by her parents. She described how Obatayo had been sexually involved with her since that time.

“Four years prior, I was sent to live with him because of his desire to train me. On my first day there, he forced himself upon me and instructed me to keep it a secret.

“He impregnated me three times and offered me N5,000 to purchase contraceptive drugs to end the pregnancies after several failed attempts.

“However, when I needed the money for the third time, he refused to provide it, so I resorted to stealing from him.

“Pastor Obatayo later accused me of stealing his money, which led to the arrest of a boy from our school. I then informed my parents about the situation.”

Presiding Magistrate, B.A. Alphonso, ordered Obatayo to be held at the Olokuta Correctional Centre and directed the case file to be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further advice.

The victim was also directed to undergo rehabilitation until further notice, and the case was set for a hearing on August 29, this year.