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Pastor sentenced to life imprisonment for raping church member’s daughter

Published

2 months ago

April 17, 2026

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An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday sentenced a 63-year-old pastor, Chris Mcdouglas to life imprisonment for raping his 18-year-old church member’s daughter, (name withheld).

Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Mcdouglas, a pastor at the Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Lagos, to life imprisonment after he found him guilty of rape.

The judge, however, discharged him of six-count-charge out of the nine-count-charge, bothering on defilement, sexual assault, indecent treatment of a child brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Oshodi, in his judgment on Thursday, held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge of rape against the pastor.

Oshodi described the offence as a grave betrayal of trust that left the survivor with lasting psychological trauma.

The court found that the cleric, regarded within his congregation as a “spiritual father” exploited his position of authority to sexually abuse the survivor.

According to the court, the abuse is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of manipulation and coercion.

Evidence before the court showed that the survivor reported the incident to the police shortly after it occurred, leading to an investigation and eventual prosecution.

“The impact on the victim has been devastating, particularly given the trust reposed in you as a religious leader.

“This court reject any suggestion that the relationship was consensual as the victim was a minor at the time the incident happened and she cannot give valid consent.

“Testimony also revealed that the victim’s mother confronted the cleric at the church after learning of the abuse, further underscoring the breach of moral and spiritual responsibility,” Oshodi said.

During the trial, the court heard evidence of the devastating impact the abuse had on the victim.

She reportedly suffered depression and experienced recurring suicidal thoughts, pointing to the lasting emotional damage caused by the incident.

The court scrutinised testimonial, medical and electronic evidence presented by the prosecution, alongside objections raised by the defence under the Evidence Act 2011.

The defence had urged the court to reject a medical report and related police referral documents, arguing non-compliance with statutory provisions.

The court agreed in part, holding that certain documents were improperly admitted and should be discountenanced.

However, it ruled that the oral testimony of the medical expert remained admissible and could stand independently.

Citing precedent, the judge held that expert testimony may still carry weight even where accompanying documentation is flawed.

The court found credible and corroborated evidence supporting allegations of abuse at a family residence and a hotel between September and December 2017.

“The victim gave a detailed account of an initial incident in September 2017, describing how she was a drugged and raped by the defendant and her testimony was corroborated with her mother’s, who observed physical distress shortly after the incident.

“The defendant also confirmed to the court that he took the survivor to hotels on several occasions,” Oshodi said.

The court consequently convicted the pastor on the charge of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The court also ordered that the convict’s name should be written in Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, called five witnesses while Defence Counsel, Mr Yusuf Nurudeen also called five witnesses during trial. (NAN)

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Enugu Senatorial By-election: Asogwa’s landslide victory affirms APC’s dominance, Says Gov Mbah

Published

29 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Senator-elect, Ikeje Asogwa

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…Describes Asogwa as people’s champion

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has congratulated the winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday by-election for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, describing the landslide victory as an affirmation of APC’s overwhelming acceptance and dominance in the state’s politics.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, declared APC’s Asogwa winner of the senatorial seat formerly won in 2023 by Labour Party Senator Okey Ezea, who died after an illness in November 2025.

The district covers Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Etiti, and Udenu Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The Returning Officer, Professor Christian Ezeibe, who announced the result in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC office in the LGA, said Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 9,299 votes.

Reacting, Mbah described it as a “statement victory,” noting that the people of the senatorial district had not only made the best choice for quality representation, but had also demonstrated total alignment with the APC.

“On behalf of the Government and good people of Enugu State, I congratulate Chief Ikeje Asogwa on this resounding victory.

“It is a statement and landmark victory both for us as an administration and for the APC as a party.

“If anybody was in doubt, the landslide victory proves, beyond rhetoric, that APC has now emerged as the unquestionable dominant political force across the length and breadth of our state. Our people are fully aligned.

“It is also a vote of confidence in Chief Ikeje Asogwa, a people’s champion, who has distinguished himself in the service of his people and the state.

“There is no doubt that his presence at the centre will strengthen state-federal government partnership and the inflow of dividends of democracy,” he stated.

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Terrorists burn NSCDC Checkpoint, kidnap resident in Kebbi

Published

34 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Suspected terrorists on Saturday raided Tsamiya, a community in Bagudo Local Government Area of Klebbi, setting ablaze security checkpoint belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a local brothel, and the residence of one Sule Mai Goge.

In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Commander, SP Bashir Usman, said one Alhaji Yusuf Bazamfare was kidnapped during the attack on the community.

He said following the attack, the Command had deployed tactical personnel to Tsamiya town.

The statement added that a comprehensive investigation into the incident had since commenced, with efforts to rescue the kidnapped victim and track the perpetrators ongoing.

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Two grandpas arrested for selling illicit drugs to teenage secondary school students

Published

13 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

The suspects

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…as NDLEA intercepts illicit consignment from China, Dubai-bound Loud concealed in ladies’ bags

…nabs wanted couple in Ekiti, 75-year-old grandma, others in Oyo raid

An 84-year-old grandpa, Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora are now cooling their heels in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following their arrest for dealing in illicit substances, which they sell to teenage secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia state capital.

Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday 19^th June 2026 following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club road, Umuahia, where 4.64 kilograms of opioids including tramadol and diazepam were recovered from him during a search of his premises.

In his case, Pa Orji who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students (names withheld) in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday 18^th June.

In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs which he takes and also sells to fellow students. While the two grandpas are billed to have their day in court, the students have been placed on counselling and rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have intercepted a consignment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier firm in Lagos. The shipment coming from China with a gross weight of 9.5 kilograms was concealed in a carton. This was followed by another seizure on Tuesday 16^th June at a different logistics company in Lagos where 300grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis was found hidden in ladies’ handbags.

In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Friday 19^thJune raided the home of a wanted drug dealer Lukman Badmus (a.k.a. Lukman Ogombo) in Ogombo area of Ajah where nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk were recovered.

A swift follow up operation at Lukman’s wife shop in Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of additional two bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia, while 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5kg were also recovered from a mini bus parked in front of her shop. Attempt by the wife, Aisha Saraki, to flush some of the drug exhibits in the toilet during the raid was thwarted by operatives.

In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Friday 19^th June intercepted a suspect Tochukwu Onah, 33, coming from Lagos to Abuja with 1.030kg methamphetamine concealed in custard containers, while a couple: James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, wanted in connection with the seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk since 26th March, 2026 in Ekiti state were eventually arrested at Oniyo street Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti on Tuesday 16th June after months on the run.

In Oyo state, 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi and two others: Nasiru Buhari, 22; and Buba Musa, 47, were arrested by NDLEA operatives when their house located in Dangote area, Elekara, Oyo town, was raided on Saturday 20th June with 118 jumbo bags containing 1,416kg skunk covered with sawdust recovered.

A suspect Patrick Imoukhede, 45, was arrested on Wednesday 17^th June when NDLEA officers raided the Khagba forest, Ikao, Owan East LGA, where they destroyed 1,744.075kg skunk and recovered already processed 169kg of same substance, while another raid at Ebora Camp, Ilushi in Esan South LGA led to the destruction of 2,424.945kg of cannabis, with a suspect Augustine Anyamone, 45, apprehended with 395kg skunk in a separate operation in the area.

With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Orun Community Grammar School, Orun Ekiti; Government Girls Secondary School, Charanchi, Bichi, Kano; Federal Technical College, Doma, Nasarawa; Tafida Community Secondary School, Zango, Katsina; and Government Technical College, Onitsha, Anambra, while the Rivers state command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Paramount Ruler of Rumuogba kingdom, Rivers state, HRH Barr. Temple Ejekwu, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their laurels.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media & Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja

Sunday 21st June 2026