6th July, 2012
An Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court in Karu on Thursday arraigned a pastor and another accused person for criminal conspiracy, impersonation, criminal intimidation, criminal force and assault.
The accused are Apostle Basil Princewill of Mountain Mover Fire Ministry Church, Nyanya, and Pauline Okoh Odey of Block E 7, Flat 1 FCDA Owners Occupier Estate, Nyanya, Abuja.
The police prosecutor, Oyemisi Abiola had told the court that on 2 July, the Commissioner of Police FCT received transferred case file with covering letter from National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP).
Abiola said that on 22 June, an information reached NAPTIP that the first accused person Princewill and the second accused person Odey conspired among themselves.
He further said that the first accused Princewill had several unlawful carnal knowledge with a 14-year- old and another 15-year old girls both students and also members of his church.
Abiola said that the Apostle did that on pretence that he was carrying out deliverance on them and in the process he impregnated the first victim.
He added that the first accused discovered that, he conspired with second accused person Odey, who took the victim to Fantami Head Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nassarawa, and falsely claimed to be the father of the victim.
The Prosecutor said that the girls pregnancy was aborted without her consent and intimidated her that if she disclosed the situation to anybody that she would die.
Furthermore, Abiola said that before the incident, the first accused person Princewilll falsely claimed to his church members including the mothers of the victims to be a lawyer.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened sections 97, 179, 397B, and 268 of the penal code.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge and Chief Shuaibu Ahmed granted them bail in the sum of N5 million each with one surety in like sum.
Ahmed ordered that the surety must be a civil servant on Grade Level 14 or a businessman with landed property worth N5 million and resides within FCT.
The case was adjourned till 25 July for hearing.