Court remands prophet in custody for raping 13-year-old girl

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State High Court (9), sitting in Uyo Division, has remanded Prophet Godson Nse Thompson in Uyo Correctional Centre for allegedly raping a 13-year-old, who was sent to him for intercessory prayer.

The accused and 32-year-old father of three from Ikot Offiong Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state alleged that the prophet lured her to his house under the guise of praying for her but ended up only raping her throughout the night.

The victim, who is an SS One student at Government Secondary School, Uyo, told the hearing that her in-law took her to a church at Information Drive in Uyo for prayers on Friday, July 10, 2020.

According to her, her sister’s husband left her in the church around 6 pm and the prophet requested that she accompany him somewhere to pray for somebody, which she did.

She added that Thompson, however, took her to his house, gave her a black liquid substance in a plastic bottle to drink and then raped her all night.

The teenager stated that the accused prevented her from leaving the house by giving her a bucket to urinate inside the house, to stop her from going outside.

She noted that when the accused forgot to lock his house’s door, she escaped to a church that rescued her.

She, however, informed the court that she saw ladies’ panties of different colours and pictures of women inside the prophet’s house, adding that following the incident, she has been bleeding and using sanitary pads for two weeks.

She said: “My in-law took me to a church by IBB Way, Uyo, by 6 pm, saying he will pick me up by 7 pm. When my in-law left the church, the accused person made a phone call to a tricyclist and the tricyclist rode in the accused person asked me to enter the tricycle, saying he was going to pray for two persons and that, he will also pray for me.

“When we got there, he prayed for the first and second persons. Thereafter, the accused person and I trekked to the main road and he stopped a tricycle we both boarded it and at a certain point, the tricyclist stopped and the accused person said I should wait for him.

“He stepped down and entered one compound and he came out and beckoned on me to join him. He asked me to follow him and he took me to a room, locked the door and told me to undress.”

After the statement of the victim, the trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, adjourned the matter to August 1, 2022, for the continuation of the trial.