Court Remands Pastor In Prison Over Alleged Defilement Of 16-Year Old Girl

A Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court in Rivers State has ordered the remand of bishop of a new generation church in the state capital, Bishop Felix Okpara Duruebube, at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre after he failed to meet his bail condition, last Monday.
The accused was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Anugbum O.N. Esq of Chief Magistrate Court 24 on two-count charge bordering on sexual harassment, among others, with charge sheet No.PMC/1025c/2022.
The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) arraigned Felix Okpara Duruebube, aged 39 years, after investigation was concluded on the matter.
The charge sheet reads thus: “Count 1, that you, Felix Okpara Duruebube, between the month of April, 2021 to May,2022, at RayJPE Hotel, Rumuokoro; Mercy House Church branch, Iwofe; and No.42A,Road 12, Rumuahulu, Port Harcourt in Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did unlawfully and sexually abuse one ‘f’, a girl of 16/17 years by inserting your penis into her vagina, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 32(1)(2) of Child Rights at CAP 50 Law of Rivers State,2003.
“Count11 read: You, Felix Okpara Duruebube, sometimes in month of December,2021 at Mercy House Church International headquarters, Eliozu, in the same aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully force one ‘f’, a girl of 16/17 years old to take an oath with you not to sleep with another man or tell anybody that she is having sex with you, else she will run mad and die, thereby committed an offence under Section 208 of the Criminal Code of CAP 37 Vol11 Laws of Nigeria 2004.”
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the two charges, and was later granted bail by Chief Magistrate Anugbum O.N. with two sureties in like sum of N2million.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a bishop while the second surety,must be a relation with a landed property within the Port Harcourt Magisterial District.
Speaking outside the courtroom,the Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Rivers State, Adata Bio-Briggs, expressed satisfaction with the conditions of bail given to the accused by the presiding magistrate.
The FIDA chairperson used the opportunity to advise people, especially miracle and deliverance seekers in the society to always test all prophecies and spirits, and be mindful of worship centres where they go to answer the call of prophetic delivery services in other not to be victims of evil men wearing the cloak of servants of God.
She frowned at a situation where some men of God would be encouraging settlement of criminal matters out of court, saying that FIDA would follow up the matter to ensure justice was served.

By: Amadi Akujobi