A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has
sentenced a pastor and founder of Mountain Movers Ministry
International, Nyanya, Abuja, Pastor Basil Princewill, to seven years
jail term after his conviction for raping a 14-year-old girl.
Justice
Hussein Baba-Yusuf, in a judgment on Tuesday convicted Princewill on
two of the four counts contained in the charge on which he was tried.
Justice Baba Yusuf regretted that the defendant was cleric, who the society looked up to as next to God
The
judge said as regrettable that a person who called himself a man of God
was involved in such shameful, disgraceful and satanic act,
Justice Baba Yusuf said he took into consideration the fate of a young girl and the society in reaching his decision$
The judge was of the view that it was incumbent on the court to deter others with such evil mind from engaging in such acts.
He
added: “It is even worrisome when the person involved is a man of God
who we should look up to as next to God. Those who serve in the Lord’s
vineyard are expected to be an example to the society.
“We have a
duty to send signal that this attitude should not be tolerated. It is
regrettable that the person who called himself man of God will be
involved in such shameful disgraceful and satanic act.
Justice
Baba Yusuf noted that by his conduct, Princewill deserved to be kept
away from the public, adding that, “he would face the prison walls like a
monastery so that when he comes out, he would have been born again.
“I
believe the evidence of the PW2 (victim ) to be true and the PW1 (her
mother) told the story in the same way the victim told the court too.
“The
evidence of the accused was inconsistent and confusing also and the
direct evidence given by the victim to her mother narrated the ordeal
the victim went through in the hands of the accused.”
The judge
added that out of the four-count charge preferred against the defendant
by the prosecution, the defendant is convicted on count one, which is
rape and count three which is abettment to cause abortion.
He
held that though the convict denied raping the victim, his
(Princewill’s) evidence contradicted itself, which informed why he
should be convicted on the allegation of rape.
The judge
discharged defendant on the offences of impersonation and attempt to
cause miscarriage, which the judge said the prosecution failed prove the
ingredients.
He said, because the convict was a first offender
he “is sentenced to seven years for the offence of rape and five years
for the offence of abettment which will run concurrently.”
Princewill,
who looked pensive all through the proceedings on Tuesday, was araigned
in June, 2012 by the police a four-count charge bordering on rape,
impersonation and attempt to cause abortion and abetting miscarriage.
He
was said to have forcefully had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old
girl, Favour Iwoha, between July 27 and December 31, 2011 at Mountain
Movers Ministry International and his house at Nyanya, Abuja, without
her consent and impregnated her.
He was said to have subsequently given her drugs with a view to aborting the pregnancy.
The
prosecution said Princewill, on or about January, 2012, attempted to
cause miscarriage on the minor when he gave her drugs to take and abort
the pregnancy, which caused her to bleed
The offence, according to prosecution, is contrary to Sections 282, 179, 95 and 85 of Penal Code.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses. It closed its case on December 9, 2016.
The defendant closed his case on May 24, 2017 having testified for himself without calling any one.
After
the judge pronounced Princewill guilty and convicted him, his lawyer,
Kekere Akpe, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy,and
that the convict was a first-time offender as well as a family man.
Prosecution lawyer, Simon Lough, urged the court to impose a sentence on the convict to serve as a deterrent for others.
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