Anambra State High Court 2, Ogidi Judicial Division, presided over by Justice Chudi Nwankwo has convicted and sentenced one James-Mary Onuorah to 25 years imprisonment for r@ping a 16-year-old girl.
The defendant was arraigned on a three-count charge of, “r@ape which is contrary to and punishable under Section 3(1)(a) and (2) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Law of Anambra State, 2017, and 7 years for offensive conduct, which is contrary to and punishable under Section 7 of the same Law.”
It was gathered that the defendant, also a church teacher at a parish in Iba Pope, Awada, deceived the mother of the victim that all her daughters were possessed by “marine spirits and spiritual husbands”, and needed deliverance at his home.
Relying on this, the mother allowed her daughters to attend prayer sessions at the defendant’s residence at Awada.
He exploited this position of spiritual authority, the defendant lured the 16-year-old victim to his altar, ordered her to strip naked; claiming it was “the direction of the Holy Spirit”.
The defendant went further to collect the victim’s menstrual blood and ovulation discharge, had s3xual intercourse with her; lying that a “spiritual husband” had caused fibroid in her womb, and that the only cure was s3x with him.
As a result, the victim became pregnant and later delivered a baby in April 2026 as shown in her hospital discharge receipt tendered and admitted in evidence in the court.
While the defendant denied the charges, including the allegation that he committed similar act against the victim’s elder sister, the court rejected his confessional statement for failing to comply with Section 13 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State.
After evaluating the evidence, including the pregnancy and delivery, the court held that the prosecution proved the case of rape and offensive conduct beyond reasonable doubt, sentenced the defendant accordingly (25 years imprisonment for the charge of r@pe, and 7 years imprisonment for the charge of offensive conduct) and also awarded the sum of five million naira compensation to the victim against the defendant.