The Abuja home of a senior pastor (names withheld) with one of the new generation churches is in turmoil, following the recent discovery of the pregnancy of the family’s underaged daughter.????
Since the discovery, the pastor and his wife, LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered, have been experiencing sleepless nights over how to shield their daughter from public glare, after she became pregnant from an alleged rape incident.
The 16-year-old girl, (names withheld), had gone to Kaduna State to sit for the NECO examinations and while there, decided to stay in the home of a close relation. While residing at the relation’s house; a family source who is in the know of the story, explained to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, that following serious interrogation, the pastor’s daughter said? she had boarded a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as Okada, and asked the rider to take her to the market. But instead of taking her to the market, the rider took a detour and took her into a bush where he, in the company of another okada rider, defiled the girl.
“You know we can’t trust these children of ours nowadays, but I’m only telling you what she told us,” said the relation.
While the incident lasted, the victim, it was further gathered appeared to have made up her mind not to relate the incident to anyone, not even the police, because of the associated stigma involved, should it become public. As a result, she was said to have finished her exams and returned to Abuja to reunite with? her parents who live in Bwari Area Council, where she continued as if nothing ever happened.
But as days progressed into weeks and weeks into months, the victim, it was reported, later found out she was pregnant and began making desperate efforts to abort the pregnancy. Unfortunately, her attempts to terminate the pregnancy failed. She was thus compelled to open up to her parents about the pregnancy three months after, especially after her mother first noticed her changing state of well-being, explaining to them (parents) how the pregnancy came about through a rape.
The shocked parents became dumbfounded and too stunned on how best to handle the matter. Our source said their biggest dilemma was the realisation that the baby their daughter was carrying would? not have a father. Being Christians and serving ministers of the gospel, they concluded that the incident was capable of not just causing disaffection among their church memebers but also affect their daughter psychologically, if they did not protect her from any embarrassment.
As things stand, they are wasting? no time and sparing no efforts to give all their love and support to their daughter.
Although there are already side-talks and sneer from certain quarters over the “embarrassing incident.” Another source who simply wants to be addressed as Johnson, and who claims to also be in the know of the incident, noted, “How are we sure the rape story is true What are the proofs that … (the victim) was truly raped and not that she went after some? boys when she went for her exams, otherwise, should’nt she have confided in somebody?”
Others pointed out that it would be inconceivable for a woman to be raped and yet, keeps it to herself. They noted that the after rape trauma and the fear that the rapist may have infected such persons withdangerous viruses and bacteria are some of the reasons why this may be difficult to conceal. “I still find it very hard to believe. How could she be telling that type of story and everyone is taking it hook, line and sinker.”
The victim’s parents, LEADERSHIP SUNDAY meanwhile gathered, have taken the first step of taking their daughter to a private hospital where she was said to have been examined and to their relief, found to be HIV free. The next plan of the parents, it was learnt, is to relocate her to a place where nobody will be able to readily know her.
According to the parents who after some persuassion, eventuallyagreed to speak with LEADERHIP SUNDAY, “It was the only way to rehabilitate her before she puts to bed.” The father, also disclosed that the daughter was a bright girl who had already passed her UME examination and was about to gain admission into the university to study law, added that, it was for this reason we are determined to protect and salvage her future. we don’t know who is who and her future matters to us as her parents.”
The father also disclosed that since the incident he had not stopped crying and asking himself why such an ugly fate would befall his last child, He said why he was helpless was because the girl did not immediately raise the alarm so as to enable her guardians in Kaduna to have taken up the case and reported the matter to the police earlier than now.