Pastor Sentenced to Life for Raping Church Member's Daughter

Chri Dougla, a 63-year-old cleric of the Peculiar General Assembly Church, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Rahman Oshodi at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for raping a church member's daughter. The judgment was delivered on Thursday, with the court finding Dougla guilty of three counts of rape and discharging him on six counts of defilement and sexual assault.

The court established that Dougla abused his position of trust, exploiting the victim, who had relied on him for spiritual guidance. The abuse occurred multiple times in a hotel, starting in September 2017, and the victim's family reported the incidents to the police and human rights organizations after the mother confronted Dougla.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Dr. Babajid Martin, presented five witnesses, including the victim's mother and medical experts, establishing that the victim suffered severe psychological trauma, including depression and suicidal thoughts, as a direct result of Dougla's actions. Justice Oshodi rejected Dougla's claims of consent, affirming that the evidence proved rape beyond a reasonable doubt.