By Esther Nelson, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a 50-year-old pastor, identified as Ambros Mark, over the alleged sexual defilement of two minors in Yenagoa.
The suspect, who is the pastor of Point of Redemption Church International, located behind Amarata area of Yenagoa, was arrested by operatives of the ‘A’ Division of the Command.
Police sources disclosed that the victims, aged 13 and 14, were members of the church choir.
According to the sources, the 13-year-old victim is from Abia State, while the 14-year-old is from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Residents in the area alleged that the pastor had been involved in sexual acts with underage girls in the church.
A source familiar with the case said the incident came to light after the 14-year-old victim resisted further advances and reported the matter to her father, a police officer serving in the Bayelsa State Command.
The father subsequently lodged a formal complaint at the ‘A’ Division, which led to the pastor’s arrest last Saturday.
Sources added that efforts by the suspect to settle the matter financially with the victims’ families failed, as the parents of the 13-year-old reportedly rejected the offer.
Reacting to the development, the Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bayelsa State chapter, Dr. Boma Tonye Miebai, Esq., and the founder of DO Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, condemned the alleged act.
Dr. Miebai stated that FIDA Bayelsa is closely monitoring the case to ensure the interests of the affected children are protected.
She said: “FIDA in Bayelsa is actively following the matter, engaging within its mandate to protect the rights of the affected children, and monitoring the legal process to ensure that their interests are safeguarded and that justice is pursued.
“No religious title or position places anyone above the law. Our children deserve protection, and alleged sexual offences against them must never be concealed or trivialised.”
