An Ado-Ekiti High Court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to Mr. Enoch Gbinyiam, a pastor of Winners Chapel Church in Omuo-Ekiti, for defiling a minor within the church premises.
The court case centered around a single charge of rape, as detailed by State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Julius Ajiba.
Ajiba outlined that the incident occurred during the victim’s visit to the vicarage, where she frequently assisted the pastor’s wife with household chores and helped the pastor’s children with school assignments.
“During one of her visits, the defendant sedated a bottle of Fanta and offered it to her to drink,” Ajiba stated.
“The minor consumed the beverage and fell asleep, waking up to find herself bleeding profusely from her vagina.”
The prosecution argued that the pastor’s actions violated Section 2 of the Gender Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2019, leading to Gbinyiam’s arrest, subsequent charge, and trial.
In presenting the case, Ajiba called upon four witnesses and submitted two exhibits as evidence.
The defense, represented by Mr. Adeyinka Opaleke, pleaded not guilty on behalf of the defendant, calling one witness and presenting evidence in Gbinyiam’s defense.
After due consideration of the evidence presented, Presiding Judge Hon. Justice O.I.O Ogunyemi concluded that the prosecution had sufficiently proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.
As a result, Justice Ogunyemi convicted Gbinyiam and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a Correctional Center.
The sentencing marks a significant legal outcome in the fight against sexual violence, emphasizing judicial resolve in holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes, particularly within sacred and trusted community spaces.