Men of the Ondo Police Command have arrested Pastor Kayode Salami, 47, for allegedly raping and killing a nursing mother, Adejoke Oloje.
Reports said that the victim was staying in the church with her baby when the incident occurred.
Mother of the deceased, Mrs Deborah, said her daughter left home without any notice until she was found dead in the church.
According to her: “I called her line to ask about her whereabouts, but she didn’t pick up her calls. So, one day, some people told me they saw her in Alade with her cousin, Aderonke. I collected Aderonke’s phone number from their grandmother, and I called her, but she said Adejoke was staying in the church, not her place.
“I called my daughter’s phone number, and she picked it up. I asked for the description of where she was staying and she obliged me.
“I went to the church and eventually found her. She complained about foodstuff, and I promised to bring some for her the following day. I also pleaded with her to leave the place, but she declined, and I left.
“The next day, when I got to the church around past 5 pm, I heard her child crying profusely. So, I moved close to see what happened.
“I met the door closed. So, I forced it open. To my utmost dismay, I found my daughter on the floor with her pants already removed down her legs, and I shouted for help.”
She said her daughter was confirmed dead by doctors on duty at a hospital she was rushed to.
On how the pastor was arrested, she said: “When the pastor was arrested, we noticed that his trousers were torn under and he wasn’t wearing any underwear.
“It is a painful story and a sad moment for our family. She was with an 11-month-old child before she met her untimely death. The culprit must not go unpunished.”
Pastor Salami, who denied raping or killing the victim, said he only helped to give her a place to stay.
” I gave her one room out of the two rooms in the church. I did not ask her what happened between her and her sister, Aderonke.
“There is only one door linking my room and the room given to her to stay. So, I used to pass through her room. I always informed her whenever I was going out or coming in.
“We did vigil together in the church, and the next morning, I saw her before going to work because I am a welder. She later came to my place of work to charge her phone around 2 pm and came to collect it around 4 pm.
“I make use of the room when I have programmes in the church. My family and I rented an apartment outside. I did not rape her, and I can’t explain how she died.”
Ondo Police spokesperson, SP Funmilayo Odunlami Omisanya, said the case had been transferred to Akure for further investigation. (National Waves)
