Ngozi Offor yesterday told an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court how Senior Pastor Basil Princewill of Mountain Movers Fire Ministry allegedly defiled her 14-year-old daughter (names withheld) and made her undergo an abortion after she became pregnant. The pastor, Apostle Basil Princewill and Pauline Okoh were charged with criminal conspiracy, impersonation, intimidation, force and assault, which are offences contrary to Sections 97, 179, 397 (B) and 268 of the Penal Code.
The woman, who was led in evidence by Prosecutor Bulus Samuel, said her daughter told her that the pastor invited her for a deliverance exercise and requested for oil as well as handkerchief. She alleged that on the appointed day, the pastor asked her daughter to undress and when she tried to protest, he slapped her. “He is feared so much in the church and known as papa,” the mother said. She alleged further that the pastor poured oil on her daughter and told her that the next part of the exercise is supposed to be performed by her husband but since she does not have one, he will represent him. “He undressed himself and put a handkerchief on my daughter’s head, which made her dumb before having carnal knowledge of her,” the mother alleged.
She said when the pastor discovered that her daughter had missed her period; he made her undergo an abortion. The woman also told the court that people in the church thaught the pastor was a lawyer because he usually writes in his fliers, almanac and books that he read law and philosophy. A copy of the flier and almanac were tendered as exhibits in the court.
When the prosecutor then sought to know whether the woman had the original copy of the medical report in court, she said photocopies were submitted to the police while the original was at home. The prosecutor then sought for adjournment in the case so that the victim’s mother can tender the required documents, which were not in her possession in court.
The defense counsel objected to the request and urged the court to compel the prosecutor to tell the court the nature of the document. He said the prosecutor ought to have been prepared for his case, adding that the document from the evidence is a scan test certificate that should be presented by a medical doctor. Senior Magistrate Shuaibu Ahmed adjourned the case to November 13.