This is a story of a little girl who was violently raped by a pastor.Read the shocking details
I am typing this email while transmitting back after my holiday in Lagos, Nigeria. I would like to get justice for the young girls who have been assaulted and raped by the so called man of God "Pastor Praise" I have not mentioned the name of the girl who narrated this story to me only a few hours before I left Lagos as she has been threatened with death if she ever told anyone.
Girl Z is a young girl child who lives with my sister. She goes to school and also helps with the kids when she gets home. I took a liking to her as she is great with the children and the kids also love her. After a number of unfortunate changes in her family life, Girl Z found herself in a home being run by a church organisation in Abuja for children whose family don't have means to sustain the kids. It was here that a certain Pastor Praise who also has affiliations with the home would come to "take boys and girls to Lagos for what he would call better pastures.
Girl Z told me that she never liked Pastor Praise as she never felt comfortable around him. He would always call her stubborn and she always tried her best to avoid him whenever he showed up at the home to "take" children to Lagos.
One day, Pastor Praise arrived at the home for Girl Z. She was to go to Lagos with him. Girl Z didn't want to go as she didn't feel comfortable around him. They were to stay at his home in Abuja for a few days before going to Lagos. While on the bus to his home, he was asking her all sorts of questions including if she was a Virgin. Girl Z was confused at this point and she said it not his business. Pastor Praise called her all sorts of names and called her problematic.
On getting to his house, he sent his house girl on an errand and in the words of Girl Z, she said "that was when he forced me" when she said this, I asked if he had raped her, her answer was YES. I could see a look on her face which I can't even describe. I just gave her a hug. She was only 12 years old at the time and she would also be raped repeatedly on several occasions following this. In some instances he would force her to sit with him, watch pornographic films and then have forced sex with her. After about a month, he eventually sent her to Lagos to another church member. There were also other incidences of rape and forced sex when he visited and her new guardians were away. He would often threaten her with death telling her he would kill her and nobody would find out about it. It appears from her narration that this pastor is well known in his circles as a man of God and he had access to the homes where he had previously brought children from the home in Abuja.
Girl Z told me she also suspects he raped other girls too as one of the girls who stayed with him after her got inexplicably pregnant after she arrived in Lagos. Another girl also told Girl Z that She never wanted to see Pastor Praise again and if she did, she would KILL him. Yes - this was coming from little girls who had passed through this pastor's hands. To cut the long story short Girl Z was eventually returned to the home in Abuja and eventually started living with my Sister.
She says she has only ever told this story to my mother. I don't know what my mother has done and I'm not waiting to find out.
Girl Z gave me what little information she knew of Pastor Praise of Living Faith Church. He used to live in the Maraba area of Abuja ( Ruga area not far from Maraba bus stop). He lived here around 2011/2012 but he has since moved apparently and she doesn't know where to - I didn't think she would be interested in knowing. Pastor Praise must be named and shamed!
Please show kindness to your house helps. You don't know where these children are coming from. You don't know their inner sufferings when they lay on their mats/beds at night. Try to build an environment where they can open up to you.
There is so much child sexual abuse going on in Nigeria and it's just too bad. Please name and shame Pastor Praise of Living Faith Church. Lets stop him and get justice for Girl Z and the others.
Thank You!
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