The Assistant Pastor of the Anointed Chosen Vessel Ministry, Okota, Lagos, Mike Oliseh, has been detained at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, for allegedly defiling the 12-year-old twin daughters of a church member and close friend.
It was gathered that while 54-year-old Oliseh allegedly penetrated the private parts of the first victim, he allegedly inserted his fingers in the private parts of the twin sister.
It was further learnt that Oliseh, an indigene of Delta State, and the girls’ father, Okoro (not real name), lived on Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos State.
Oliseh, who lived opposite Okoro’s house, was said to have relocated his wife and four children (a girl and three boys) to the Ikotun area of Lagos.
He, however, retained his apartment at Okota, where he reportedly stay during the week before returning to his family in Ikotun by weekends.
Oliseh, who is also into borehole drilling, was said to have employed the services of Okoro, whose bus was used to convey equipment to sites.
The two then became close friends, as Oliseh also used the opportunity to win over Okoro’s family to his church.
However, Okoro’s wife, Chidera (not real name), travelled on a business trip in 2017, during which time Oliseh started sleeping in their home.
The first victim, Chioma (not real name), said that while her father was fast asleep, the suspect defiled her.
She said he threatened to withdraw support to the family if she told anyone about the incident, adding that she could not say the number of times that he had raped her.
Chioma narrated, “He started it (rape) last year. He used to come to sleep in our house. He said there was heat in his apartment. So, while my twin sister and I would sleep on the floor, he used to sleep on the bed with my father. While my dad slept, he would come to the floor and sleep with me. He has done it many times.
“He put his male reproductive organ in my private parts. He threatened that if I told my father, he would not take him to work again. He and my father eat and work together, and they both sleep on the same bed.”
It was reported that the crime had gone undetected until recently when the suspect attempted to sleep with the second victim, Nnena (not real name).
The victims’ mother, Chidera, said Oliseh was pulling off her daughter’s pants when an elderly woman saw him.
She said, “On that Thursday, my daughter did not go to school; she was alone in the compound. Mike (Oliseh) came and chased her. The girl ran into the backyard to hide. He went there and started pulling her pants; the girl shouted.
“An elderly woman, who came for omugo (the Igbo practice of female parents tendering their daughters’ newborn babies) in our compound and was in the room, saw him. When she opened the door, Mike quickly brought out a phone and pretended to be speaking to my husband on the telephone. He said he wanted to give my daughter something, but she was not ready to collect it. He then put his phone in his pocket and left.
“The woman, who observed that he did not dial any number on the phone before putting it to his ear, called my husband to ask the children what his friend had been doing to them. That was how the secret was blown open. He slept with my first daughter regularly, but had only succeeded in inserting his fingers into the private parts of my second daughter.”
Chidera said she was disappointed because Oliseh was a trusted pastor and family friend.
The victims’ father, Okoro said that he did not believe the allegations until the suspect confessed to them.
He stated, “I trusted him because I thought that he was a man of God. I have a bus and whenever he had a borehole drilling job, I used the vehicle to take the equipment to site. He would pay me for the service. He also took my family to his church.
“Also, whenever my wife travelled, I would take my children to his wife’s place in Ikotun. Whenever I cooked, we would eat together from the same plate. I never suspected anything. Even when it was noticed the first time, I doubted it. However, when he agreed to it and said what he did was little, I became weak.”
It was also learnt that the case was reported at the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender and the victims were referred to the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
A social worker at the OPD said the results of the tests carried out on the victims confirmed that the girls had been defiled.
The social worker stated, “In fact, it was when the results came out that we reported at the Ago Police Station.
“When we got to his house, he was not around. The general overseer of the church had called the victims’ parents and was reprimanding them for involving the police. The man said since he had already agreed to settle it for them, they should not have involved the police.
“We just told the family to play along. So, they agreed with the general overseer and that gave the suspect a false sense of security. He returned to his house and that was how he was arrested. He was transferred to the Gender Unit on Tuesday.”
The Director, OPD, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, said justice would be done.
“The innocent girls were defiled by a so-called pastor under the guise of helping their father. It is very sad. While we will ensure that the girls get justice and the perpetrator is punished, it is important that parents should be watchful and careful,” she stated.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect would be arraigned at the end of investigation.
