An Imo State High Court has sentenced a pastor, Apostle Desmond Eke, to 8 years in prison for raping a female member of his church.
Apostle Eke, the General Overseer of Deliverance Ministry of The Good Shepherd in Umuihita Avu, Owerri West LGA, was convicted on July 31, 2024 following a trial where the prosecution proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The court heard that Apostle Eke had deceived the 25-year-old woman, who was the wife of one of his church members, into believing that he was performing a “deliverance” ritual to cast out a “marine spirit” from her. He administered a substance that caused her to lose consciousness, and then sexually assaulted her.
When the woman regained awareness, the pastor told her that having sex with her was an integral part of the deliverance process, and that his “holy sperm” would liberate her from the “spirit husband” and “marine spirit.”
The judge, Hon. Justice T.N. Nzeukwu, convicted Apostle Eke on counts of breach of trust and rape, but discharged him on a third count of inflicting injuries on the victim. The judge reasoned that there could not have been any struggle leading to injury since the victim was not fully conscious during the assault.
This is the first case to be tried under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Imo State. The convener of Onurube Foundation, Marjorie Ezihe, has commended the judgment, stating that it will serve as a deterrent to others with similar warped mindsets.
