Fides Media Living the Faith
..Anambra Govt to Take Case to Court
By Ogochukwu Nwaokafor
Residents of Abacha, a community in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State, were on Monday thrown into shock following the news of one Pastor Arinze Obiwenite, a General Over Seer of Holy Trinity Ministry in the community, was arrested for allegedly raping his 12-year old daughter (name withheld).
Fides gathered that Pastor Obiwenite is married to eleven wives with numerous children.
Confirming the report, the Commissioner for Women’s and Social Welfare, Anambra State, Honourable Ify Obinabo, represented by the special media aide, Mrs Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, in an interview with Fides on Tuesday said the ministry, led by Hon Obinabo, had swung into action by going to Abacha on 14 March 2023.
‘The first point of call was the palace of the traditional ruler of Abacha, Igwe Nwabunwanne Godwin Odiegwu, to notify him of our presence in his community before taking action” She said it was during the visit that Igwe Odiegwu revealed that the alleged culprit, Obiwenite, presented himself as a Christian who provided solutions to people seeking for answers without knowing that he had other motives up his sleeve.
The traditional ruler explained that the town got to know of his escapades when he accused some young boys in the community of raping the daughter.
The monarch said the pastor was summoned to the palace on several occasions but failed to honour the royal invitation which made the youths of the community to storm his residence where they made shocking discoveries.
According to Igwe Odiegwu, the youths, on getting to the pastor’s house, discovered that he locked up some of his children, including the 12-year old, who, he alleged, that some young men of the community had raped.
When questioned, the daughter revealed that the father had locked them up in the room for five years and that he always had carnal knowledge of her while he defiled the younger ones.
The traditional Prime Minister of the community, Chief Paul Omofia, for his part explained that the youths after their discovery wanted to take the law into their hands by burning the man alive but the traditional ruler intervened. He also noted that the incident happened few weeks after their Ofala Festival where they called on the gods of the land to expose any evil doer in the community.
Hon Obinabo, after a physical examination of their condition, assured them of justice and a conducive environment for growth and proper care while she interrogated the alleged culprit, Arinze Obiwenite, who denied all the allegations leveled against him but was quick to ask the traditional ruler to forgive him and help find a way of resolving the issue without going to court, a plea which Igwe Odiegwu refused.
Fides also gathered that Obiwenite’s also used diabolic means to run a ministry known as “Holy Trinity Healing Ministry” where people come to get solutions to their problems.
Some fetish items were discovered at his house and he was made to destroy them in the presence of the villagers.
Some of the things discovered included a long list of paper where he wrote down names of those he had killed and planned to kill; a hollow grave at his backyard where he admitted he stayed to make his incantations if need be and some native medicines which he said were also diabolic.
He was also made to break the oath binding him and his three wives during the period of their marriages.
Upon interrogation, he stated that he was married to eleven wives but did not live with any. Some of his children revealed that they left home because of their father’s attitude.
Obiwenite has since been arrested by the police and transferred to the State Criminal Investigative Department in Awka where he was arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka on Wednesday 22 March 2023. He was remanded at the Correctional Centre, Amawbia, while the 12-year old daughter was taken to hospital for medical examination and possible treatment.