An Ikeja Magistrates Court yesterday remanded a 60-year-old pastor of the Apostolic Church Worldwide, Benjamin Omole in prison custody for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old girl.
Omole, who is also a teacher at Atunda Olu Special School, Surulere, Lagos and a resident of 4, Oke Orio Close, Ifako-Ijaye, Lagos was arraigned on a one-count charge of unlawful defilement before Magistrate Olufunke Sule-Hamzat.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Benson Emuerhi, the defendant committed the offence on January 16 at Surulere, Lagos.
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He explained that the defendant took advantage of his being a teacher in the school to defile the girl, who is a pupil in his school.
Denying the allegations, Omole said: “I am a teacher at Atunda Olu Special School in Surulere. I have been an ordained pastor of the Apostolic Church Worldwide for the past 17 years. I am an indigene of Ijebu-Ijesha in Osun State.
“I have been handling people with intellectual disability. I have never defiled any of them. I did not defile her.”
Magistrate Sule-Hamzat ordered that he be remanded in prison custody, and adjourned the case till April 8.