Rape Case: Court Orders Pastor Be Remanded in Custody

Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of an Abuja High Court on Wednesday ordered that Apostle Basil Princewill be remanded in Kuje Prison pending his arraignment on October 16.

Justice Baba-Yusuf gave the order, following complaints by the suspect's counsel, Ms Esther Uzoma that the prosecution had yet to serve her client with a copy of the charges.

Princewill, the police said, is the General Overseer of Mountain Movers Fire Ministries Church in Nyanya, Abuja.

Chuka Mitchel, the counsel to the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, had, in a suit, alleged that sometimes in March, Princewill assaulted and raped two minors in Nyanya.

Mitchel alleged that the suspect is accused of having sexual intercourse with two 14-year-old girls, an act punishable under Section 283 of the Penal Code.

Uzoma said that as a matter of law and procedure, any person suspected of a crime, must first be served with a copy of the charges, to enable him or her prepare for his or her defence.

She told the court that her client did not know the reason for his being in court and had not prepared for his defence.

In his ruling, Baba-Yusuf ordered the prosecution to effect service of the charges and other court processes on the counsel to the suspect.

Earlier, the judge had granted leave to the Police to arraign Princewill on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal impersonation, criminal intimidation and rape.

It would be recalled that on Friday, July 6, Princewill and one Ms Paulyn Ode, the coordinator of the church, were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Karu on the charges of conspiracy, criminal impersonation, criminal intimidation and assault.

Magistrate Ahmed Shuaibu had granted bail to the accused in the sum of N2 million and two sureties in like sum.

The sureties, the judge said, must be civil servants of no less than Grade Level 15 and must have a property in Abuja valued at not less than N5 million.