Pastor, Wife Arrested in Bayelsa Over Alleged Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl

Pastor, Wife Arrested in Bayelsa Over Alleged Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl 

YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE — The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a pastor and his wife over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The suspects were apprehended by operatives from the Ekeki Division during a Sunday church service. Eyewitnesses said the pastor initially fled through a back exit after sighting police officers but later surrendered himself when his wife was taken into custody at the church premises.

According to reports, the victim is a relative of the pastor’s wife. The teenager allegedly told investigators and members of the National Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence and the Do Foundation that the abuse occurred about five times beginning in November 2025.

The girl reportedly said the incidents happened whenever her mother sent her to deliver a local bread known as “madiga” to the pastor’s wife. On one occasion, when the wife was not at home, the pastor allegedly invited her inside the church, locked the door and assaulted her. She further alleged that similar incidents occurred on other visits to the pastor’s residence.

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The minor said she initially kept silent out of fear but later informed her mother after noticing she had missed her menstrual cycle. Following the revelation, the mother confronted the pastor and his wife.

Sources disclosed that the pastor’s wife allegedly handed the mother N120,000 to facilitate an abortion after a medical scan reportedly confirmed pregnancy. The mother was said to have been persuaded by a relative not to “destroy God’s house” at the time.

The matter, however, escalated during a church service where the pastor and his wife were reportedly heard thanking God for helping them overcome enemies allegedly trying to bring down the church. Feeling distressed by the public display, the victim’s mother later filed a formal complaint at the Ekeki Police Division.

She also petitioned the complaint unit of the National Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence, led by Dise Harry.

Confirming the development, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Iyamah Daniel Edebor, said the case has been transferred to the Gender Unit of the command for thorough investigation and possible prosecution.

Police authorities assured that due process would be followed in handling the alleged rape case in Bayelsa, emphasizing that offences involving minors are treated with seriousness under Nigerian law.

The incident has sparked reactions in Yenagoa, with some church members reportedly seen at the police station discussing the development as investigations continue.

Pastor, Wife Arrested in Bayelsa Over Alleged Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl