An Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced Enoch Gbinyiam, a pastor of Winners Chapel Church in Omuo-Ekiti, to life imprisonment for raping a minor on church premises. The State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Julius Ajiba, revealed that Gbinyiam sedated the victim with a drug-laced bottle of Fanta, causing her to lose consciousness. The victim later awoke to find herself bleeding, leading to the pastor’s arrest and trial.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Ajiba, presented four witnesses and two exhibits, successfully proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Gbinyiam, represented by his counsel Mr. Adeyinka Opaleke, maintained his innocence and called one witness in his defense.
Hon. Justice O.I.O Ogunyemi ruled that Gbinyiam’s actions violated Section 2 of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2019, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court’s decision underscores the severity of the crime and the commitment to justice for victims of gender-based violence.