A
42-year-old pastor, Peter Ododa of the Holy Family Prayer Ministry, New
Karu, Nasarawa State, yesterday appeared before Justice Vincent
Gwahenba of Mararaba Upper Area Court for the alleged abduction of one
Grace Okpara.
Counsel
to Mr. Nnamdi Okpara, the complainant and husband of Grace, Mr. Sunday
Ijiga, told the court that the accused abducted his client’s wife
sometime in 2010, saying the complainant got married to Grace in March,
2008 and shortly after their wedding, Grace discovered the church and
introduced her husband to the accused.
“Since
we got married in 2008, we have been living peacefully until she was
introduced to the prayer ministry by one of her relatives and she
started misbehaving,” the complainant said.
He
alleged that the pastor told his wife that there was no spiritual
guidance in their marriage and, therefore, asked her to leave the house
to avoid ungodly acts that could lead her to regret thereafter. The
complainant said his wife told him that the pastor advised her to leave
the marriage because he was not her husband.
Okpara further alleged that the pastor said since their wedding was not conducted in the church, she was not legally married.
“When
I noticed some changes in her behaviour, I stopped her from attending
the prayer ministry but she insisted on going,” the complainant said,
adding that the pastor always invited Grace while he was away and
sometimes made calls to her asking her to meet him.
The
complainant alleged that the accused finally abducted his wife in 2010
while he was away on an official assignment in Delta State and that all
efforts made to trace her whereabouts failed.
“When
I came back, I went to the hakimi (district head) of New Karu, the
director of social welfare board of Karu Local Government and the CAN
chairman, to assist me get my wife back,” he explained, saying all
efforts however proved abortive as his wife was yet to return to him,
hence the decision to bring the matter to court.
The
pastor however pleaded not guilty when the charge was read, following
which the judge granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety,
who should live within the jurisdiction of the court, in like sum.
He adjourned the case to January 25 for continuation of hearing.
- Leadership Newspapers