Justice T. N. Nzeukwu of the Imo State High Court has sentenced pastor Desmond Eke to eight years in prison for raping a member of his church. Eke, who founded the Deliverance Ministry of the Good Shepherd in Umuehieta Avu, Owerri West, was found guilty of exploiting the trust of a woman who was his parishioner.
The court heard that Eke faced three charges: raping the woman, administering a drug that left her weak and dizzy, and inflicting injuries during the assault. The prosecution revealed that Eke raped the woman while she was incapacitated, claiming that his semen would deliver her from a supposed marine spirit.
While Eke was convicted of breaching trust and rape, he was acquitted of inflicting injuries due to the victim’s lack of resistance during the assault. Despite a plea for leniency from his defense, the court imposed the full sentence. This case is notable as it is the first to be prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act in Imo State. Civil society organization Onurube, which reported and followed the case, praised the court’s decision as a significant step in addressing sexual violence.