The General Overseer and pastor of Liberation Word Assembly International in Aba, Abia State, Peculiar Ginika, has been taken into custody by the police on allegations of sexually abusing a minor.
Ginika is currently held at the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police’s command headquarters, where he is undergoing questioning after his arrest last weekend, as reported by The Nation.
The victim’s father had informed RRS personnel that his daughter had experienced sexual assault by the cleric, identified as the family pastor.
A police source indicated that a nurse, who allegedly assisted the suspect with contraceptive pills and collected the victim’s blood sample, might also face questioning.
According to family sources, the victim, who turned 17 in November 2023, disclosed that the cleric initiated the abuse when she was 15. Divorced, Ginika allegedly exploited the teenager’s desire to deepen her faith and claimed credit for healing her asthma, a condition she had struggled with since the age of eight.
The sources revealed that the cleric coerced the victim into secrecy through an oath, threatening a worsening of her asthma if she spoke out.
The manipulation extended to the point of alienating her from her parents and relatives. Additionally, he allegedly attempted to force her into marriage.
The source further disclosed, “My sister said that the man forced himself on her and led her to an oath never to reveal what was going on between both of them or she risks her asthma affliction coming back, this time more severe.
“He manipulated my sister such that she hated her parents and even her relations. He even went ahead trying to force my sister to marry him.
“Through his manipulation and fear of losing my sister, he made my sister, who had wanted to study medicine not to agree writing her Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam as she instead opted for a catering school.”
Lamenting the unfortunate development, the source added, “How can such a brilliant girl would just refuse to pursue her education to choose to go to catering school. We knew that something was wrong, but we never suspected the pastor.
“Each day that they have s*x, he uses her up to five times and he gives her contraceptives at the end of the rounds of sex. My sister will wear out and will hardly do house chores and we never knew that a man who visits our house was behind all these.”
The police source stated, “The case is under the jurisdiction of the RRS team at the Aba North local government area headquarters, Aba.” Confirming the arrest, the police spokesperson, Maureen
