A Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Nwaigwe Stephen, hailing from Anambra state, has been apprehended and detained on charges of allegedly raping and impregnating a teenager. The Anambra State Chief Magistrates’ Court, also known as the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, has ordered his imprisonment until December 6, 2023.

The priest is accused of forcibly taking the pregnant minor to Benin City, Edo State, where she gave birth. However, the whereabouts of the baby remain unknown, as per police investigations.

Engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor is a punishable offense under section 34(2) of the Child’s Rights Law of Anambra State, 2004. Nwaigwe had previously been expelled from the Two Hearts of Love Congregation (Ugwu Nso), a prominent Catholic Faith-Based Religious Congregation in Orlu, Imo State, in 2018, due to alleged misconduct.

The victim, who met the priest at St. Albert The Great Catholic Church Parish in Obosi, Anambra State, stated in court that the priest took her from her parents to live with him when she was 14, promising to sponsor her education while she served as his cook. She alleged that the sexual abuse began shortly after moving into his house, leading to her pregnancy at the age of 17.

The minor revealed that upon informing the priest about her pregnancy, he took her to Benin City, Edo, introducing her to a man and woman as his brother and brother’s wife. The baby was allegedly born at a native birth attendant’s house in Benin City, and the priest claimed the baby died. Efforts to see the deceased baby were allegedly denied, with claims that it had been buried.

During remand proceedings, the minor refuted claims of being gang-raped and asserted that she had only experienced sexual abuse from the priest.

The court granted the police prosecutor's request for remand, and despite the defense counsel's application for bail, the presiding Chief Magistrate refused bail, citing the severity of the offense and the prevalence of such cases in society. The case has been adjourned to December 6, 2023.