Officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested a clergyman of Faith Agape Church ,Narayi, Kaduna, Kaduna State for raping a 16yr old girl under his custody.
Joseph Alhassan was arrested at his residence by the security operatives following a complaint filed by the Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development.
The Victim told a Social Welfare Worker ,Brenda Bartholomew on Saturday that the cleric allegedly abused her for 5years.
Bartholomew explained that the victim had been living with the accused since she was 11 as a house help
She said the case was reported to the ministry by a non governmal Organisation, Bridge that Gap Initiative,after which the ministry intervened to investigate the matter
According to her, after receiving the information,the ministry reported the case to the NSCDC, Kaduna South Local Government Area Division,Kakuri,who thereafter arrested the cleric
“We have taken the victim to the Assault Referral Center, Kakuri for medical examination while we wait for NSCDC to conclude their investigation before we will proceed with the prosecution process’the ministry official said.
The NGO, Bridge the Gap Initiative Executive Director, Gloria Bulus said she found out about the incident in late October 2019 through a neighbour”s child who attended the same school with the victim.
She said the neighbors daughter had said that a 12year old girl in Alhassan”s house had told some of her friends in school that she was sexually molested by the accused
On hearing that, the NGO decided to visit the school,Aliyu Makama Primary School,Barnawa to investigate the matter
and saw the victim who reaffirmed the assault on her
Bulus said in order to get justice they decided to report the alleged crime to the Ministry for further investigation
The NSCDC Child Desk Officer,in Kaduna, Shehu Maiyaki who confirmed the incident said that the accused is their custody adding that the case was being investigated.
Alhassan has described the accusation as baseless
