Pastor Stephen Kalu is sentenced to life in prison for rape by Justice Kekemeke.

 

Pastor Stephen Kalu, 29, was sentenced to life in prison by Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court in Nyanya on Wednesday for raping an underage teenage girl of 17-year-old.

 

On October 16, 2019, the convict, a preacher at Adoration Ministry in Karshi, Abuja, was arraign before the court on a two-count rape accusation.

 

According to the police, on Oct. 28, 2018, in his apartment in Karshi, Abuja, the felon had sex with a 17-year-old girl without her consent.

 

They said this was contrary to section 31 (1) of the Child’s Right Act and punishable under 31 (2) of the same Act.

 

In his decision, Kekemeke stated that the prosecuting attorney, Donatus Abah, had established his case beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

He went on to say that the defendant admitted to sleeping with the girl multiple times, resulting in a pregnancy and a baby girl’s birth.

 

The court went on to say that, notwithstanding the defendant’s pledge to marry her, the crime had already been committed and the law had to run its course.

 

Kekemeke concluded that count two was irrelevant, and the defendant was found guilty on count one, which violated section 31 (1) of the Child’s Right Act.

 

” The defendant is found guilty on count one and accordingly convicted,” the judge ruled.

 

In sentencing the offender, Kekemeke stated that the section with which he was charged deserved a life sentence.

 

” Our society, especially this division of the court, has seen several cases of rape.

 

“It is a pathetic situation, the system must be expunged of rapists, our children need protection from our courts.

 

” The law is already there, the same defendant committed a similar offence of rape while on bail, during the period of this case.

 

“He is a danger to our children, I have no choice, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment,” he ruled.