A non-governmental organisation, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), yesterday, narrated how it rescued a 13-year-old girl allegedly abducted for sex slavery and exploitation from the hands of a pastor at Living Faith Tabernacle Church (Winners Chapel), Umulokpa, Uzo-uwani Local Council of Enugu State.
The group claimed that Ifediniru Prosper, who was on a missionary work in the community, took the minor, under the guise of opening a bank account for her, and disappeared.
WACOL’s Communications Officer, Egodi Igwe, said the victim’s parents (names withheld), on September 28, 2023, lodged a complaint with the organisation and demanded justice.
According to her, “they said Prosper vanished with the teenager without any trace, and all efforts to locate him and the child were futile. The parents found out he was travelling with the child for other missionary work from one state to another within Nigeria. Subsequently, it was revealed that the man of God had turned the minor into a sex slave that he constantly violated and abused.
“WACOL’s team swung into action by first petitioning the Enugu State Police Command and then working with the police to track the perpetrator and rescue the child victim.”
Igwe said: “Upon investigation, the church told authorities they had no record of the perpetrator, as he was no longer in their service. They noted that he was previously in their employment but was not in any way supported to commit such a grievous crime against an innocent child. According to them, Prosper was acting on his own volition.
“After numerous searches and intelligence by the police, Prosper was found at a border town in Umuahia, Abia State. The teenager was rescued, while the perpetrator was apprehended and brought to Enugu State Police Command for immediate prosecution.”
The communications officer said: “WACOL must state the worrisome nature of the rampancy of such cases. It is simply unacceptable! Girls deserve to have a safe environment to flourish and excel. They should not have their childhood snatched from them by people who ought to protect them. These widespread violations against girls threaten their existence and violate their human rights. Girls are no longer safe anywhere, even in religious spaces. There is a need for perpetrators to be held accountable and for tools of the law to be activated to protect girls in all places.”
She said WACOL’s legal unit was working closely with relevant law enforcement bodies to ensure speedy prosecution of the case “and, ultimately, justice for the victim, whose rights have been grossly violated.”
Igwe commended the Enugu State Police Command for their prompt response and proactive investigation that led to the arrest of Prosper. She urged members of the public to be intentional about discarding harmful practices and traditions that promote abusive acts against women and girls, stressing: “WACOL will continue to fight for zero tolerance against all forms of violence against women and girls, so they can exist in a society where their rights are respected in law and practice.”
