A 15 year-old girl (name withheld) on Monday, 30th May, told an Uyo High Court how she was allegedly raped by a 32 year-old prophet, Godson Nse Thompson in 2020, when she was brought to him for intercessory prayers.
The victim who is a native of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was giving her evidence as the second prosecution witness in the matter which is before Hon. Justice Bassey Nkanang.
She said she was living with her elder sister in Uyo, when her in-law took her to a church at Information Drive, Uyo and after leaving to return at about 7pm, the Pastor took her to his house, where she was raped all through the night.
“When my in-law left the church, the accused person made a phone call to a tricyclist and the tricyclist rode in and the accused person asked me to enter the tricycle saying he was going to pray for two persons and that, he will also pray for me.
When we got there, he prayed for the first and second persons. Thereafter, the accused person and I trekked to the main road and he stopped a tricycle and we both entered it and at a certain point, the tricyclist stopped and the accused person said I should wait for him.
He stepped down and entered one compound and he came out and beckoned on me to join him. He asked me to follow him and he took me to a room, locked the door and told me to undress. He raped me till I bled”. The minor told the Court
She said the incident which occurred on Friday, 10th July, 2020, saw her using her sanitary pads for two weeks because of bleeding.
According to her, the accused person gave her a bucket to urinate inside the house in order to prevent her from going outside.
The SS1 student of a Government Secondary School in Uyo also narrated how she ended up in accused person’s house, where he brought black liquid substance in a plastic bottle and drank before taking turns to rape her.
“The accused person dragged me to his bedroom and showed me female pants, pictures of women, calabash, native eggs, wooden cross, two live lizards, cowries, plastic dolls, snake skin, kolanuts and office pins.”
The victim said she was able to escape when the accused person forgot to lock the door of the house and ran to a church where she was rescued.
At the conclusion of the evidence of the victim, the trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourned the matter to 1st August, 2022 for continuation of trial and ordered the accused be remanded in Uyo Correctional Centre till the adjourned date.
© Harrison Essien
