16-year-old nursing mother has narrated how she was hypnotised, raped and impregnated by Isaac Anibaba, a prophet in the church she attends with her mother in the Surulere area of Lagos State.
The teenager’s ordeal began during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. When her family had an accommodation problem that forced them to seek shelter in the Aladura church, where her mother worships, pending when she would secure accommodation.
It was while her mother, Janet and her children were living in the church, that Anibaba allegedly took advantage of the teen.
Janet and her children were kicked out of the church after the incident.
Speaking with Vanguard, the teenage girl said; “I can’t recollect most of the incident that happened on the night I lost my virginity.
“But I remember vividly the threat from Isaac Anibaba, a Prophet at the Church of the Lord, Aladura.
“He said that I shouldn’t tell anyone or I would die. But after I missed my menses, I went to tell him.
“He started giving me herbs for abortion, but the herbs didn’t work.”
Narrating how it all started, she alleged that Anibaba called and told her that God revealed to him in a vision that she would fail in her educational pursuits.
Anibaba, however, urged her not to fret, that he had a solution, which he had given to other students in her situation.
He would give her something that would help in making her become an academic success through secondary to university level.
She said: “He gave me something to insert into my private part. I went to the bathroom and inserted it. He warned me not to tell my mom.
“I thought it was part of the prayer activities. He told me that he had also assisted other students in the same way and that many of them were now overseas.
“After I inserted it, I couldn’t recollect anything. When I came back to my senses, I was in an uncompleted building, which was inside the church compound.
“I was naked and Anibaba had a white cloth stained with blood in his hand. I was hurting between my thighs.”
The teenager, who was a Senior Secondary School student (SS1) at the time, dropped out of school after she become pregnant.
The accused narrates his story
According to Vanguard, Anibaba admitted impregnating the teen, but denied raping her.
While reacting to the allegations, the prophet explained that the matter was taken to a human rights group and an amicable settlement was reached.
Anibaba said: “It was not a rape case at all. It happened two years ago and I was reported to the human rights group because she was still in school.
“I was asked to take care of her until the delivery of the baby, which I did. I was sending money to her every month.
“But along the line, I lost my job and the church sent me packing, leaving me without accommodation.
“I had to keep my furniture and other property with a friend, and then went to squat with another friend.
“But in spite of everything, I borrowed money to ensure she was all right. After she put to bed, I paid the hospital bill.
“What happened is not something to rejoice over, but I have learnt my lesson and prayed God wouldn’t never let me encounter such a problem again.
“God is still punishing me for it, because ever since then, things have not been easy for me.
“My daughter didn’t go to school for a whole year. She and her mom are squatting with another friend.
“I went to the Lagos State Government to get a birth certificate for the baby and registered him in my name.
“I was also the person that named him. Later, I had to confess to her and her family that I didn’t have much on me, unlike before when I was working.
“On different occasions, my mom had gone to them with food items and clothes for the child.”
Anibaba further stated that his financial situation worsened to the extent that he was owing so many online loan platforms.
“I had to return to the human rights group to tell them my challenges, and it was agreed that my mom would take her and the child to live with her.”
“It was also agreed that while my mom babysits, Bukola would return to school. That was our last discussion and Bukola’s family members said they would go and think about it. I have not heard anything from them to date.
“In order to survive and make ends meet, I had to go and take up a job as a driver, but I was involved in an accident and that’s another problem I’m still battling to resolve. Bukola also told the human rights group when she was questioned that I didn’t force her. However, I have taken responsibility for my actions.”
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