An Ado-Ekiti High Court sentenced Mr. Enoch Gbinyiam, a pastor at Winners Chapel Church in Omuo-Ekiti, to life imprisonment for defiling a minor on church premises.
The case focused on a single rape charge, as described by State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Julius Ajiba.
Ajiba explained that the incident occurred when the victim, who often assisted the pastor’s wife and children, visited the vicarage.
"During one visit, the defendant spiked a bottle of Fanta and gave it to her to drink," Ajiba said.
"The minor drank it, fell asleep, and woke up bleeding heavily from her vagina."
The prosecution argued that the pastor’s actions violated Section 2 of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2019, leading to Gbinyiam’s arrest, charge, and trial.
Ajiba presented four witnesses and two exhibits as evidence.
The defense, led by Mr. Adeyinka Opaleke, pleaded not guilty and called one witness in defense.
After reviewing the evidence, Presiding Judge Hon. Justice O.I.O Ogunyemi determined the prosecution had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Ogunyemi convicted Gbinyiam and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a Correctional Center.
This sentencing is a significant legal outcome in the fight against sexual violence, highlighting the judiciary's commitment to holding offenders accountable, especially in trusted community spaces.
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