Bayelsa Cleric Arrested for Allegedly Defiling Minors

A cleric, identified as the pastor of New Generation Pentecostal Church located behind the Amarata area of Yenagoa, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly defiling two minors, aged 13 and 14. The victims are members of his church, with the 13-year-old girl hailing from Abia State and the 14-year-old from Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.

The case came to light when the 14-year-old objected to the pastor's sexual advances and informed her father, a police officer with the Bayelsa State Police Command. Following this, the father reported the incident to the police, leading to the cleric's arrest.

Attempts to resolve the matter through financial settlement were unsuccessful, as the parents of the 13-year-old declined the arrangement. The incident has drawn condemnation from women's rights advocates, including Dr. Boma Tonye Miebai of FIDA Bayelsa and Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry of the Do Foundation, who called for a thorough investigation and emphasized the need to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse.