A magistrate’s court in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old Pastor Ruben Okotie to six months imprisonment for seducing his house maid with red candle.
Presiding magistrate of the Court, Chief magistrate Carl Moeteke, who sentenced the accused, said he was found guilty with overwhelmed evidence in a three counts of conspiracy, attempted rape and illicit sexual act. Moeteke therefore sentenced the accused to six months without option of fine to serve as deterrent to others. It was gathered that Pastor Okotie on the 22nd day of February 2016 in Kwale town seduced his housemaid with a red candle after his wife had gone to visit her sick parents in a neighbouring community.
The housemaid, Helen, 13 years old and an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was said to have resisted the attempt by the pastor to make love to her on her return from market where she had gone to buy food stuff and other cooking materials.
The pastor was said to have threatened to eject her from his house if she failed to comply. It was stated that a week after, the pastor pounced on the maid and pushed a red candle into her private part after forcing her into his bedroom.
He was reportedly arrested in Kwale when his wife reported the maid’s complaints to the police.
Police prosecution witness, Sgt Promise Enebeli, told the court that Pastor Okotie was arrested when the matter was reported at the Kwale Police Division, adding that upon interrogation, he confessed to then crime and was charged to the court.
But counsel to the accused Mr. Thomas Okobi, had dismissed claims of the housewife, Mrs. Esther Okotie, insisting that his client was innocent of the crime.
The court, however, said that the evidence against the accused was overwhelming.
