Lagos pastor sentenced to life imprisonment for church member's daughter's rape

Chris Douglas, a 63-year-old cleric and General Overseer of Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Oshodi, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for raping a church member's daughter. Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that Douglas abused his position of authority and trust, exploiting the victim who viewed him as a spiritual father. The court found that the abuse occurred multiple times in a hotel and that the victim suffered severe psychological trauma, including depression and suicidal thoughts, as a direct result. The prosecution, led by Dr. Babajide Martins, presented five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and a medical doctor, along with medical and documentary evidence. The victim testified that Douglas initially drugged and raped her in September 2017, stating she trusted him as a spiritual father. Her mother confronted Douglas, who attributed his actions to the devil and begged for forgiveness. The matter was reported to a human rights organization, the police, and the Mirabel Centre. Douglas denied the allegations, claiming the relationship was consensual, but Justice Oshodi rejected this defense, finding rape proven beyond a reasonable doubt. While some alleged incidents before January 2018 were not sufficiently proven, the court established rape for incidents when the victim was 18 years old. Douglas was discharged on six counts of defilement and sexual assault but found guilty on three counts of