A pastor identified as Simeon Okehielem, of Ebube Wonders Synagogue Prayers Ministry, has been arraigned before the Edo State High Court, Benin City, on charges of rape, following a petition filed by Mrs. Isoken Aigbedo-owie.
According to Barrister Clinton Ogbebor, legal counsel to the plaintiff, the incident occurred in March 2024 in Uholor Community, Benin City, where Pastor Okehielem allegedly raped Mrs. Aigbedo-owie a crime which reportedly led to the birth of a child.
Following a petition to the Commissioner of Police, investigations commenced in 2024. Despite initial difficulties in locating the accused, police authorities eventually apprehended him, and a DNA test was conducted to determine the paternity of the child.
“The result of the DNA test, read in court on Monday, July 7, 2025, confirmed with 99.9% certainty that Pastor Okehielem is the biological father of the child,” Barrister Ogbebor revealed.
In light of the development, the police re-arrested the defendant, who was arraigned on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The court ordered that he be remanded to the Benin Correctional Centre and directed that the case file be duplicated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Benin, for legal advice.
Barrister Ogbebor commended the Nigeria Police Force for their professionalism and the public for their support, emphasizing the importance of justice in such sensitive cases.
