*jumps fence ran
*now using Police officers to intimidate and threaten victim, widowed mother
From Chuks Collins, Awka
An alleged suspected serial sexual philanderer and Paedophile masking as a pastor and prophet operating in a sleepy Umuazu village in Uke, Idemili North Council of Anambra state has been arrested over the alleged rape and other indecent sexual acts against an eleven(11)-year old primary Five child -Miss Ogechukwu(full names withheld) in Uke.
The man whose real name and place of origin have remained controversial -Pastor Prophet Ikechukwu Nwadike was said to have moved into the premises of Ichie Otutu Muonwem of Umuazu Uke about four months ago in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic, and was warmly received. Gradually he converted the “Obi” of the late Otutu of Uke to his worship Centre.
Sadly, despite not being too open with his full intentions, the self-styled pastor who investigations revealed has been dropping many names and place of origin -Ogidi, Nkpor and even Obosi was said to hail from a yet-be-unmasked area of Nsukka in Enugu state. Also he was alleged to have been sent packing from Ogidi and Nkpor communities before her an away and settled at Umuazu Uke. He was said to be married to a lady from Nkwelle-Ogidi with whom he has two children but one died, leaving behind a 5-year old son. And that in the heat of the current crisis he has currently relocated to Abagana with the family.
According to poor Mrs Peace Ejikeme, a 42-year old widow and native of nearby Akama village, Ideani but residing in Umuazu, Uke since the death of her husband about 2014 through vehicular accident along with her four children. The 11-year old Ogechukwu (victim) was her eldest child out of her four children.
She told journalists who have been trooping to her house since the sordid incident that “on about Sept 17,2020, our pastor prophet gave a prophecy about my daughter, Oge, on Sept 4,2020 that two spirits -a demonic spirit and a heavenly spirit were fighting to gain control of her life. That there was an urgent need to separate her from the evil demonic spirit to enable her super bright God-given spirit to manifest. That she has a good destiny.
The pastor went ahead to request for a spoon of overnight ashes, and N700 for Olive oil. These were presented on Sept 7,2020 and that I should sent her for a midnight deliverance prayers on that Sept 7. He specifically instructed that I shouldn’t come along. But chose a particular elderly woman member of the fellowship Centre we had come to adopt as “Mama”, (Mrs Victoria Nwike), he directed I should send my daughter to come with Mama.
It was therefore shocking to hear from daughter on her return on Tuesday -Sept 8,2020 morning that she will not go to that pastor and his church/fellowship Centre anymore. She went ahead to tell me that the pastor was an evil man because while he lighted a candlestick at the dot of 12midnight, took her inside his office that Monday night. And while she firmly held onto the candle with her eyes closed as he instructed, the pastor started fondling her breasts and fingering her reproductive opening. Momentarily he went and brought Mama in and asked her to join in hold g the candle. But after some time he now asked Mama to leave the office back into the main auditorium leaving just my daughter and himself behind.
Instantly as Mama left, the pastor bolted the doors, blindfolded her, stuffed and tied up her mouth, tied up her hands and legs. He then commenced another round of more intense fondling of her stump-like breasts and fingering of her genitalia. Despite all her struggles, kicking a and screaming, no one could notice or hear her because she was tied up all over. At a time he concentrated on fingering her, which was indeed very painful. She admitted she had never had such ugly painful experience all her life.
But after what seemed like eternity, the pastor removed the blindfold and the materials he stuffed and tied her mouth, and opened the olive oil and one other solution that he poured into her mouth. Thereafter he took her into an inner room with a bed. At that point the pastor removed her panties and undressed himself too. He then placed her on the bed, spread her legs and mounted her, dipping his phallus into her. ‘It was painful’, she admitted.
As she was narrating her ordeal, I broke down in tears. I managed to take her to Mama, and in the presence of Mama’s son my daughter repeated her story. All of us became angry and then rushed to the pastor that early morning of Sept 8,2020. When confronted, the pastor denied tying her up or blindfolding her. That he only rubbed her all over. That he didn’t actually enter her. I asked him why did he want to destroy my child when he has his own. When our voices started rising against him he fell on his knees begging us for forgiveness. That it was mere temptation and would never repeat again. That he will never let my daughter into his office any other day.
I told him that it was not over as I will take her to a hospital for checks on infection and pregnancy. So on getting home I narrated the story to a member of the family who then took us to another pastor who prayed for us and consequently to a hospital where no fewer than four different tests were conducted. At this stage my daughter kept vomiting ceaselessly including blood. She became too weak, refusing to eat. But as her condition seemingly worsened, I went back to the pastor charging him to neutralize whatever he did to my daughter. Ironically he became combative and violent, threatening us. So at that stage I really raised my voice and people started gathering. At that moment he became jittery as the Uke Vigilante Group and Umuazu youths were invited and the number was rising. As we were still discussing, he jumped the fence and disappeared.
It was alleged that what Pastor Nwadike administered on her which made her drowsy for some days was a concoction of fetish materials laced heavily with Indian hemp. To douse my concern, I was told to increase her intake of blood-building foods and supplements.
The next day the man invaded my house with about six armed police officers from Ogidi Division. But because the area had been incensed, the vigilante blocked them and put a call through to the Zone 13, zonal office and he was summarily arrested and kept their.
Efforts to get a copy of my daughter’s medical examination report from the Enugwu-ukwu General Hospital has ever since been thwarted by the antics of the desk officer at Zone 13. The officer not only refused to issue is the necessary papers to enable us collect the medical report, he insisted that the report would show or prove nothing. That we should rather start reconciliation process so that the pastor be granted bail and released from detention.
Though Mrs Ejikeme may be out of fear refused to confirm or deny the report that the police officers have repeatedly visited her at ungodly hours of the night threatening her to ‘either embrace peace or be ready to face the consequences’.
When our reporters got to the Zone 13, Headquarters Ukpo in Dunukofia Council of Anambra state, the Public Relations Officers, Nkiru Nwode said there was nothing to say for now. That the matter is still being investigated.
A visit to the office of the Anglican Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese from where Pastor Nwadike claimed he was ordained met a brick wall as no one has any knowledge of such name. It was the same at St Philips Akpakaogwe Ogidi, and the All Saints Cathedral Onitsha where members of the God of Miracle Mission, Uke told journalists that Nwadike had severally told them he often says the sermons on Sunday services and equally conducts special programmes. No one could admit knowing him or his background or origin.
A call to the Awka office of the Corporate Affairs Commission stated that there was no such organization was in the records for such Pastor Nwadike.
When the resident Priest of St Luke’s Anglican Church,(Mt Zion) Uke -Rev Daniel Okeke said he only heard about the man through parishioners, especially during the Covid-19 era. That because of the restriction of normal worship he was forced to embark on rotational visits to members at designated points when partial lifting of restriction was granted by the Federal and State governments. But after a particular visit to Umuazu village he moved on to visit another village in the subsequent Sunday, but detailed a church teacher to continue. When the teacher returned he reported that a strange man had assumed control of that location he visited earlier. He therefore called a meeting of the Parochial Church Committee (PCC)to complain and mandated them to fish out the man and the landlords. So it was discovered that the Ikechukwu Muonwem family who owned the property said the man -Nwadike on arrival said he was on transit to Nnewi Anglican Diocese where he claimed that the bishop had promised to accommodate him soon. That he “was a former Church teacher at Nkpor but later self-sponsored himself to a theological school and was ordained at Abakaliki”. Besides when the PCC stepped-in, Mr Muonwem promised to see me alongside the man. He came after four months but without the pastor. He also told me the man never told him he would be conducting church services or programmes in his premises. I then urged him to go and monitor the man’s activities.It was barely three weeks later that my parishioners told me that the pastor has been exposed. That he was discovered to be raping people, including minors.
However, one of the Muonwems -Uche, a lady in her late forties lamented that if the pastor had relocated when then gave quit notice to find elsewhere for his church activities things would have been different. Breaking down in uncontrollable tears, she said she heard rumors that the pastor’s present travails were orchestrated by some members of the occult living within the Obodo-Akpaka area. That she learnt the pastor’s sustained firebrand kind of prayers were disturbing them. She also bemoaned how such a man who has been an emotional, physical and psychological comfort to her personally and many other women could be so vilified. She consoled herself that the ordeal would soon pass bye.
Two other members of the Church who declined having their names in the media said it was long since they were suspecting the pastor’s seeming philandering ways especially the way he was cruising around with different women in his Murano SUV. That they learnt he goes by different names in different locations. That he has even in the midst of the present crisis found a new abode in unnamed premises at Abagana, Njikoka Council area.
