Now caught in a frightening case, a youngster who should have felt protected in her own house is involved with the exact man her family trusted.
A pastor of the Celestial Church in Ogun State has been put into police custody after he was accused of sexually abusing his 16-year-old stepdaughter, with a human rights organization saying the abuse began when the girl was barely 14.
More alarming still is the allegation that the adolescent was threatened with death should she ever divulge what was happening behind closed doors.
The suspect has been named as Omogbolahan Israel Idowu. The arrest came after a formal appeal by the Lagos State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, which is now calling for justice and safety for the teenager and her elder brother.
In a petition dated October 26, 2026, and written to the Divisional Police Officer of Shimawa Police Division in Ogun State, the organization, acting on behalf of the victim, whose identity was withheld, said:
The CDHR said the alleged abuse began when the girl’s mother, Bukola Rachel Omogbolahan, married Idowu.
It was gathered after the marriage that the woman moved into the residence of the pastor in the Ologbo Ark area of Shimawa with her children.
The source said the alleged sexual assault started when the adolescent was living in the house.
The incidents began when she was 14 and continued on after she became 16, CDHR said.
But the incident grew extremely terrifying when the suspect reportedly informed her that she would be killed if she told anyone what had been happening.
The threats left the youngster and her older brother living in terror for their safety, the organization said.
The human rights group then urged the authorities to investigate the claims and arrest and prosecute the pastor if liable and guarantee that both children were adequately protected.
It also recommended that the minors be referred to competent child-protection and social-welfare agencies to provide them with the required support.
CDHR in its appeal quoted sections of the Child Rights Act 2003 and the Ogun State Child Rights Law and insisted on the necessity to defend the rights of the teenager.
The police investigation unfolds
After the petition was filed things started moving at Shimawa police division.
The Divisional Police Officer personally received and accepted the complaint on Tuesday, 27th of October, CDHR said.
The pastor, his wife and another priest of the Celestial Church were later invited by the police for questioning.
The authorities took their statements and as the inquiry continued, both Idowu and the victim’s mother were jailed.
The adolescent was admitted to Shimawa General Hospital for medical examinations on Wednesday, October 28.
CDHR claimed the medical reports were later sent to the police investigators who investigated the issue.
But the probe did not stop at the divisional level.
The case papers of the preacher and his wife were sent to the Ogun State Police Command headquarters at Eleweran on Friday, October 30.
The incident was eventually handed over to D3 Gender Unit in Oke-Ilewo for further investigation.
What the preacher allegedly told investigators
One of the most important revelations by the human rights organization concerns the suspect’s alleged comments during police interrogation.
Idowu admitted to the CDHR that he had sexual intercourse with the teen.
The pastor informed investigators he had had sexual intercourse with the girl on two occasions, however in his own account he apparently exaggerated the amount of the encounter, according to the organization.
The human rights group said he was still in police custody at the Gender Unit as investigations continued.
It also showed that authorities had promised to inform him of the date and time of his arraignment when the inquiry was completed.
For its part, CDHR said it was ready to give more information and make the victim and any witnesses available whenever the police needed their help.
Children’s safety concerns
The threats in the petition have also caused major fears about the safety of the youngster and her older brother, in addition to the sexual abuse charges.
The organization is especially worried about the conditions in which the children lived in the same family as the suspect, and the dread they are said to have suffered before the situation came to the attention of the police.
However, for now the inquiry continues and the allegations must be proven through the due process of law.
Efforts to get the comments of the Investigating Police Officer, Superintendent of Police Kafaya and the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi proved abortive.
A message submitted to the police spokesperson to clarify the case had not been responded to by the time of filing the report.
The suspect remains in prison and the focus is now on the next stage of the investigation and if the police will take him to court to face the allegations.
For the youngster at the heart of the case, the immediate priority is her protection, while the clamour for justice continues.
(Source: SaharaReporters)
About the Author
