A Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 63-year-old cleric, Chris Douglas, to life imprisonment for the rape of a church member’s daughter.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the convict, who is the General Overseer of Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, abused his position of authority and trust to exploit the victim.
The court described the offence as a grave breach of trust, noting that the cleric was regarded as a father figure by the victim and her family.
“The convict occupied a position of spiritual authority and was seen as a father figure. Instead of protecting that trust, he betrayed it in the most reprehensible manner,” the judge said.
According to the court, the abuse took place on multiple occasions in a hotel, where the victim had been taken under the guise of spiritual guidance.
Justice Oshodi further held that the prosecution established that the victim suffered significant psychological trauma as a result of the abuse, including depression and emotional distress.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, presented five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and a medical expert.
The victim testified that the cleric first assaulted her in September 2017, after allegedly drugging her. She told the court she had trusted him as a spiritual father and never expected such actions.
Her mother also recounted confronting the cleric after learning of the incident, stating that he admitted wrongdoing and pleaded for forgiveness before church elders.
The case was later reported to the police at Makinde Division, a human rights organisation, and the Mirabel Centre for medical examination.
The defendant denied the allegations, claiming the relationship was consensual. However, the court rejected this defence, ruling that the evidence proved the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
“The defence of consent is not supported by the totality of the evidence before the court,” Justice Oshodi stated.
While the court discharged the defendant on six counts related to defilement and sexual assault due to insufficient proof for those specific charges, it found him guilty on three counts of rape.
He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The court also ordered that his name be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.
“The law must protect the vulnerable, and this court will not hesitate to punish abuse of trust in the strongest terms,” the judge added.