A state high court in Ogidi, Anambra State, has convicted and sentenced a choirmaster, James Onuorah, to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl during a deliverance session.The court also sentenced him to seven years for offensive conduct.

The prosecution argued that the defendant, a church teacher, deceived the victim’s mother into believing her daughters were possessed by spirits, lured the victim to his home, and forced her into sexual intercourse, resulting in her pregnancy.

The trial revealed that the defendant also committed a similar act against the victim’s elder sister, but the court acquitted him on that charge due to lack of evidence.

The judge emphasized that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, citing the victim’s consistent testimony and circumstantial evidence like the pregnancy.The defendant was ordered to pay N5 million in compensation to the victim.The case highlights the abuse of spiritual authority and the legal consequences of such crimes in Nigeria.