Justice T. N . Nzeukwu of the Imo State High Court has convicted and sentenced a pastor, Desmond Eke, to eight years imprisonment for raping his church member’s wife.

Eke, the founder of Deliverance Ministry of the Good Shepherd, Umuehieta Avu, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State was found guilty of taking advantage of the woman who had vested so much trust in him.

The convict was tried on three counts that bordered on raping the victim who is also a member of his church and administering a stupefying substance on his victim which made her dizzy and weak.

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According to the prosecution counsel, Chioma Emuka, it was while in the dizzy state that Eke took advantage of the woman who woke up to consciousness while he was still inside her.

Emuka said, “On inquiry on why he had to violate her, the pastor told the 25-year-old woman that his semen is holy enough to deliver her of the marine spirit that was disturbing her.”

While delivering the judgment, Justice Nzeukwu held that Eke was guilty of the offences preferred against him.

The judge convicted Eke on count two of the charge of breaching trust and raping the woman but discharged him on the third count which bordered on inflicting injuries during the rape.

“Since the woman was not completely conscious during the incident, there was no way injuries could result since there was no resistance,“ Justice Nzeukwu held.

Before the sentence, the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy that his client had been of good behaviour having been present in court throughout the trial without jumping bail.

He pleaded that instead of a full sentence, his client should be put on probation.

Reporters observes that this is the first case to be prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act in the state.

A civil society organisation, Onurube, reported the matter and followed it up to its logical end.

Speaking on the case, the convener of Onurube, Marjorie Ezihe, lauded the court for convicting the pastor.

She believed the conviction would serve as a deterrent to those intending to indulge in such inhuman acts of seeking to have carnal knowledge of women without their consent.