A 31-year-old student of a Theological institution in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State has been arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl.

The suspect, who was identified as Pastor Moses Ifeayichukwu Gabriel, was arrested through the help of
Behind Bars Defenders, Abia State office.

It was also alleged that the victim became infected after being defiled.

The development was made known by Abia State Director of Behind the Bars Defenders, Ochiegbu Marvelous and the organization’s Public Relations Officer, Nony Philip, through a press statement.

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According to the statement, the ugly action of the Pastor was brought to the attention of Behind Bars Defenders by the mother of the victim.

“Acting swiftly, the organization reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ubakala Division, Abia State, who ensured the suspect’s prompt arrest on November 6, 2025.

“Following his arrest, Pastor Gabriel was transferred to the Gender Desk Unit, State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Umuahia, for proper investigation and prosecution”, the group said

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Behind Bars Defenders, which condemned in strong terms all forms of defilement, rape, child abuse, and sexual exploitation, called on the Abia State government, law enforcement agencies, religious institutions, and the general public to intensify efforts to protect children and vulnerable persons from sexual and gender-based violence.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka confirmed that the incident was reported to the Ubakala Police Divisional Police station.

The PPRO, who said that a preliminary investigation was conducted on the matter, said the case had been transferred to Gender Section at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, where more investigations were ongoing.

The Enugu State Police Command has arraigned a 29-year-old mother of two, Chisom Okonkwo, for allegedly making false claims that her husband, Okonkwo Ozioma, defiled their two daughters.

The case followed a viral social media post on November 5, in which Chisom accused her husband of sexually assaulting their children and threatening to kill her if she revealed the incident.

Mr Okonkwo denied the allegations and requested legal representation before making any statements to the police. According to court documents, the charges against Chisom include defamation of character and giving false information to the police.

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Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Chisom Okonkwo, sometime in the month of August 2024, along Adoration Junction, opposite Dan-Legal Hotel, Emene, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did defame the character of one Okonkwo Ozioma by shouting in public that he defiled your two daughters, which has exposed him to hatred, contempt and ridicule, thereby damaging his reputation and committing an offence contrary to Section 323 and punishable under Section 325 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.”

The second count reads: “That you, Chisom Okonkwo, on October 27, 2025, at the State Intelligence Department (SID), Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did give false information to police detectives that Okonkwo Ozioma defiled your two daughters, leading to his arrest and detention, knowing the information to be false, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 154(1)(a)&(b) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.”

Under Nigerian law, making false accusations of sexual assault can attract severe penalties, including charges of perjury, public mischief, or filing a false police report, offences that carry significant prison terms or fines.

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In Lagos State, the law prescribes up to life imprisonment for making a false accusation of rape. If such an accusation is made under oath, it may constitute perjury, which is punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment under Section 118 of the Criminal Code Act.

False reporting of crimes also attracts sanctions for public mischief or wasting police time, with penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment in some jurisdictions.

Beyond criminal charges, a person wrongfully accused of rape may also pursue civil action against the accuser for damages.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two staff members of the National Assembly, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Adam Goni, for defrauding job seekers of N4.8 million through a fake employment scheme at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The case followed a petition (ICPC/P/NC/1056/2022) filed by the victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, who alleged that one Mustapha Mohammed, currently at large, claimed he could help secure employment for them at the CBN for N4 million each, with appointment letters to be released in April 2021.

Investigations revealed that the petitioners paid N3 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to the first defendant and later transferred another N300,000 each to an Access Bank account under the name Badraddin Mohammed for purported medical screening.

In a statement on Wednesday, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said the defendants were arraigned before Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court No. 55, sitting in Asokoro, Abuja, following thorough investigations by the Commission.

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According to prosecuting counsel, Fatima Abdullahi Bardi, the defendants were charged with a five-count offence bordering on advance fee fraud, forgery, and conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Penal Code.

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Counts 2 and 3 accused the defendants of conspiring to forge an employment letter dated June 28, 2021, purportedly issued by the CBN, while Counts 4 and 5 involved a forged employment letter dated June 11, 2021, allegedly from the FIRS.

One of the charges read: “That you, Ibrahim Suleiman Umar (m), and Tijjani Adam Goni (m), on or about June 2021 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to forge a letter of employment dated 11th June 2021 purportedly issued by the Federal Inland Revenue Service in favour of one Mustapha Muhammad, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code.”

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Under Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which allows for plea bargaining, the defendants pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after agreeing to refund the full sum of N4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account.

They were subsequently convicted on a one-count amended charge of making false statements, contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Justice Bassi sentenced each of the defendants to pay a fine of N100,000 after they refunded the total amount defrauded to the ICPC.