Imo State pastor, Apostle Desmond Eke, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a church member under the guise of spiritual deliverance. The conviction marks a significant legal victory under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and highlights the abuse of religious authority.
In Owerri, Imo State, Apostle Desmond Eke, founder of Deliverance Ministry of The Good Shepherd, was sentenced to eight years in prison on July 31, 2024, for raping a 25-year-old woman from his congregation. The conviction came after Hon. Justice T.N. Nzeukwu found Eke guilty of sexually assaulting the woman under the pretense of delivering her from a marine spirit.
Eke's crime was revealed when the victim, a mother of four, was administered a soporific substance disguised as holy water and anointing oil. The pastor claimed that intercourse with him was necessary to remove spiritual chains. Despite the woman's resistance, Eke insisted that his semen would purify her from malevolent spirits. The case, which drew significant attention, was pursued by the Onurube Foundation, a civil society organization that reported the crime and persisted through various threats.
Eke was convicted on charges of breach of trust and rape but was acquitted of inflicting physical injuries, as the victim was not fully conscious during the assault. The court’s decision marks the first successful conviction under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Imo State. Reactions to the judgment have been mixed, with advocates praising the ruling as a deterrent to similar crimes, while others express dismay at the abuse of religious authority.
