- Court fixes July 19 for sentence
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The pastor of Glorious Covenant Church, in Rivers State, Mr Piller Erekwa, on Thursday, pleaded guilty to a count charge of sexual abuse preferred against him by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) at the Chief Magistrate Court 1, presided over by Chief Magistrate Ogeh Elkanah at Rivers State Family Court.
Erekwa pleaded guilty, when the charge was read to him, that he sexually abused a 15-year-old girl in Mgbuola village in Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area of the state between December, 2022, and January, 2023, thereby committing an offence punishable by law of Rivers State.
The trial Chief Magistrate Elkanah adjourned the matter to July 19, 2023, for facts and sentencing.
It would be recalled that pastor of the new generation church, Erekwa, was arrested last week Thursday, July 6, in Ndele by Rumuji Police Division and later transferred to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, commended the Police for arraignment of the suspect in court.
Mr Wiro equally commended the family of the rape survivor for not bowing to pressure to settle the case out of court.
The pastor was, however, remanded to Correctional Centre in Port Harcourt, pending his sentencing on July 19