The Founder and General Overseer of a Pentecostal
Church in Benin City, Pastor Phillip Ogbebor is now an unusual inmate at the
federal medium security prison, Oko after a magistrate court ordered that
he be remanded for having sex with male members of his Church.
Surprisingly, the randy pastor of Breakthrough
Ministries, Owina Street, off Sakponba road Benin city, neither
denied the allegation of homosexuality levelled against him by the parents of
one of his victims nor blamed the devil as many culprits will do. Instead, he
told Saturday Sun that “I am only passing through temptation. I only did it
four times with the man who is 22 years old and a regular member of my church.
I can’t claim that it was the devil’s influence , let God decide my case.”
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso
Ayodeji Adebanjo told Saturday Sun that the Pastor was
apprehended recently by men of the State Criminal Investigation Department of
the Edo state police command following a complaint lodged by the father of one of
his victims. Trouble started when the victim who had been put under an oath of
secrecy by the pastor decided to report his ordeal to his parents who in
turn decided to inform the police.
The victim who doesn’t want his name in
print told Saturday Sun that he has been unduly harassed by Pastor
Ogbebor since 2007 when he was only fifteen years old and that he made him to
take several oaths of secrecy in order not to reveal the secret to anybody.
He further said that the suspect threatened
to kill him if he disclosed the act to anyone.
According to him, “each time, I told him it is
painful and that I don’t want to do it again. I told him I
will tell my parents but he forced me to take oath saying if I ever tell
anyone I will not live to see the next day”
He furthered revealed how Ogbebor mixed olive
oil with sand and robbed it on his head while chanting incantations
in an unusual language and casting spells on him, with an emphasis on the
fact that if he tells anybody he would die like a fowl. He said to buttress his
threat he gave him the liver and gizzard of chicken to eat saying these
acts were usually performed at 12.00 midnight under the guise of a night vigil.
The victim who said he is a regular member
of Pastor Ogbebor’s church said he was disturbed by his
deteriorating health and was forced to narrate his ordeal to another
pastor.
He said the man of God advised him to report
the bad conduct of Pastor Ogbebor before the congregation which he did
but Ogbebor was said to have denied it before the congregation. After the
confession by the victim to the congregation, his father who is also a
member of the church promptly confronted Pastor Ogbebor on the matter
and as the issue was degenerating into rowdiness in the church,
Pastor Ogbebor was said to have confessed to the crime and pledged to take the
victim who has been battling with spiritual and health challenges to the
hospital for medical treatment.
It was at that stage that the father of the victim
who was in shock over the development reported the matter to the police
for proper investigation.
Speaking to Saturday Sun, the Edo State
Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Ayodeji Adebanjo
commended the SCID Benin under the leadership of Deputy
Commissioner of Police J. Ibim for a good job done.
He said the suspect will soon be charged to court
after the completion of investigation.
The police boss had about three weeks ago paraded
Pastor Ogbebor along with 25 other crime suspects at the command headquarters,
Benin city.
Saturday Sun however gathered that the 42 year old
randy pastor has been arraigned before a Magistrate court in Benin city on
a charge bordering on indecent assault contrary to Sections 214(1)
and 353 of the constitution respectively.
The Magistrate was said to have ordered his
detention at the Oko medium security prison in the state capital pending the
commencement of trial.
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