Protest over Lagos pastor accused of sexually abusing children

The peace of Akute, Ogun State was disrupted by
aggrieved non-governmental organizations, NGOs,
and women protesting the relocation of an
orphanage allegedly being run by a pastor standing
trial on a four-count charge of sexual abuse.
The protesters, led by Josephine Effah-Chukwuma,
Executive Director, Project Alert, and Dr. Joe Okei-
Odumakin, founder, Women Arise, were, mostly,
lawyers, child right and women activists. They
stormed Akute-Ijoko Road at about 12 noon
displaying placards with inscriptions: “Say no to
child abuse”, “This pastor is a pedophile”,
“Orphanage or child abuse center”, “Justice for
sexually-abused children”, among others. The
protesters lamented that the founder of the
orphanage had gone ahead to relocate it when he
had not been cleared of the case of sexual abuse
hanging on his head.
The protest was prompted by a text message about
the relocation of the orphanage allegedly sent by the
pastor. The text message read: “RELOCATION OF
ORPHANAGE – Beloved, come rejoice with us as
we celebrate God’s faithfulness in thanksgiving and
dedication of the new place God appointed us at
Akute-Ijoko Road on Saturday February 22, 2014, at
11am. Please pray and plan to attend. God bless
you.”
The protesters alleged that the orphanage is a killer
and “the people of this vicinity must know because
we can’t keep allowing these abuses to go on”.
They went on: “This place must be closed down.
We will not keep quiet and allow a pedophile to
truncate the future of our children.
All the children in this center are the future of
Nigeria and if they are being raped by the pastor,  it
means that Nigeria has no future. We are also
calling on the government of Ogun State and the
people of Nigeria to make sure that he is brought to
book. Every responsible Nigerian must ensure that
the pastor is brought to book.”
They questioned Ogun State government on why
the orphanage remained in operation and why the
pastor was becoming more courageous to the
extent of opening another orphanage under the
watch of the state. “Ogun State has not shut down
the orphanage in spite of the fact that the founder
has a  four- count charge of sexual abuse still
hanging over his head. Until the law takes it’s
course, until he is acquitted and the court of law
declares him innocent, this orphanage should be
closed down.”
Speaking during the protest,  Okei-Odumakin noted
that the pastor was relocating his orphanage from
Akute because he is running away from the
negative publicity he got as a result of the alleged
sexual abuse of the girls at the orphanage.
“Investigations revealed that despite the fact that
the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs instructed
the pastor to stay away from the orphanage, he still
frequents the orphanage. What system did Ogun
State put in place to monitor and ensure that the
pastor does not go to that orphanage?”
Josphine Effah- Chukwuma, Executive Director,
Project Alert, said that Ogun State Government and
the Ministry of Women Affairs have returned the
two girls that cried out that the pastor was sexually
abusing them to the orphanage. “Does it take a
wizard or a blind person to know that you don’t
return victims of a crime to crime site? Imagine
those two under-aged girls returned to the
orphanage on the grounds that they signed an
undertaking that they wanted to go back. According
to the laws in Nigeria, as long as they are under 18,
you are not an adult, you don’t have the right to
decide for yourself.”
The protesters demanded that the orphanage be
closed until the suspect is acquitted by the court of
law.
Although the pastor was not around, a jeep,
reportedly owned by him, was parked inside the
compound.  Building work was apparently on- going
at the site while hired chairs, a cake for the event
and visitors trooped in for the event.
Not sealed
According to one of the invited guests, one Mrs
Olagbemi, “I received a text message through my
phone that the orphanage was relocating. I have
known the pastor for about eight years now.
Because I run a Bible club and children Evangelism
Ministry, I usually visit the orphanage to give them
what we have for the children. And we have been
doing this for seven years. I am not aware that the
first home was sealed by government because of
alleged sexual abuse of children.”
Further investigation also revealed that the
orphanage at Akute remained in operation with
more than 26 children.