FCTA pledges justice for 14-year-old girl allegedly raped by cleric

The Women Affairs Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has vowed to ensure justice for a 14-year-old girl allegedly raped by a cleric in Gwagwalada.  The accused cleric, Amos Isah, who is the founder and lead pastor of Prophetic Victory Voice of Fire Ministry in Gwagwalada, Abuja, is currently in police custody. Dr. […]

The Women Affairs Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has vowed to ensure justice for a 14-year-old girl allegedly raped by a cleric in Gwagwalada. 

The accused cleric, Amos Isah, who is the founder and lead pastor of Prophetic Victory Voice of Fire Ministry in Gwagwalada, Abuja, is currently in police custody.

Dr. Adebayo Benjamins-Laniyi, the Mandate Secretary of the secretariat, stated in Abuja on Thursday that the administration would pursue the case to a logical conclusion. 

Declaring zero tolerance for rape in the FCT, Benjamins-Laniyi, reiterated the administration’s commitment to protecting, preserving, and safeguarding the rights and dignity of all children in the FCT.

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“This commitment is in tandem with Section 1 of the Child Rights Act, 2003,” she stated. “The FCT will not harbor and provide a safe haven for any pedophile, whoever he or she may be when caught. We will ensure that justice is served at all times when the rights of our children are violated.”

She added that the secretariat was already in contact with relevant stakeholders to pursue justice for the rape survivor. 

She said, “I am following up with the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, over the issue. I have also gone to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to the Federation and Deputy Commissioner of Police Rita Emesim, in charge of Gender, all in pursuit of justice for the rape survivor.

“I have equally directed the Director, Child Department of the Women’s Affairs Secretariat, to visit the family of the victim,” 

 “The director has visited the family, discussed, and assured them of the FCTA’s commitment to getting justice for their only daughter.”

Benjamins-Laniyi assured residents that the FCT Administration was handling the matter with the utmost commitment.

The mandate secretary also warned that legal action would be taken against those sharing the survivor’s picture on social media.

 She specifically called on one Isaiah Gbangbala, a social media influencer, to stop posting the victim’s picture on his Facebook page in an attempt to discredit her, describing it as “cyberbullying.”

According to Benjamins-Laniyi, the girl and her parents are already traumatized, with ongoing negative social media campaigns compounding their mental state. 

“The survivor is not only traumatized but also facing serious health challenges after the incident. 

She has been bleeding accompanied by severe pains and had to be pulled out of school and rushed to the hospital for medical attention.”

On her part, Deputy Commissioner Emesim assured residents that the suspect would hopefully be charged to court by Thursday. 

She dismissed social media claims that the police were holding the suspect without charging him or considering his release, stating, “This is a rape case, and rape is a federal offense. We cannot charge a rape case to a Magistrate Court; it has to be in a Federal High Court. It is not just charging a case to court; we need conviction, and for us to get conviction, we need to do due diligence.”

She emphasized that the matter is being handled without prejudice to the accused, adding that if convicted, he would bear the full brunt of the law.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspect, Isah, was detained by the police following a petition by the victim and her parents. They alleged that the suspect lured her into his office and raped her on May 26. 

The victim, a Senior Secondary School II student and member of the church’s Media Unit, further alleged that following the rape, her hymen broke and she began bleeding from her vagina. 

She added that upon seeing this, the suspect gave her N3,000 and threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone.