A 53-year-old man who claims to be a Pastor, has been arrested by the Police in Nsukka, Enugu State, for allegedly impregnating married women and young girls in his church.
The Pastor, identified as Timothy Ngwu, is the General Overseer of Holy Trinity Ministry popularly called Vineyard Ministry in Umudikwere Community in the University town. Ironically, police sources said the suspect claims he was directed by the Holy Spirit to sexually abuse female members of his church in the name of God.
How he was exposed
Crime Guard gathered that the alleged sexual exploits of the self-acclaimed man of God was blown open by his estranged wife, Veronica Ngwu, who hails from Udi Local Government Area in Enugu State.
The wife who has three children for the pastor was reportedly not comfortable with the ugly development and she lodged a complaint at the Anti-Child Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, Enugu.This led to the arrest of the pastor.
Veronica’s case
It was learnt that during interrogation, the estranged wife of the pastor informed detectives that she escaped from the ministry with one of her daughters after her husband impregnated her niece and claimed he was obeying the directives of the Holy Spirit and a prophetic revelation.
She also informed detectives led by Gloria Udoka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, that the situation at the church was better imagined than witnessed, alleging that her husband converts married women and single girls to his own and impregnates all of them while pretending to be obeying spiritual directives.
Pastor’s claims
The pastor reportedly claimed that he had sexual intercourse with women in his ministry as a result of directives from the Holy Spirit and with the consent of their husbands, if married, but for the single ones, a spiritual directive.
Ngwu, until his arrest, was a Scrutiny Officer and Statistician with the National Bureau of Statistics, one time assistant Catechist at St. John’s Catholic Church, Ihe-Umudikwere, Nsukka where he inducts married women and young girls seeking solution to their problems or favour. He was chased out of the Catholic Church and he started his own church.
Police Statement
The police in Enugu also alluded to the allegations when they issued a statement through the Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amarizu, stating that two women among others in the enclave of the Vineyard, left their husbands to reside with the General Overseer.
According to the statement, the two women identified as Calista Omeje and Assumpta Odo confirmed that they left their husbands to live with the General Overseer on the prophetic injunction to do the will of God.
The statement noted that Calista revealed that she had 10 children for her husband but was later impregnated by the General Overseer and that the baby died later. She also said that she gave out her daughter to the General Overseer to be impregnated, an act she described as “the fulfillment of the Will of God.”
The police spokesman noted in the statement that the pastor said he had five wives with 13 children apart from other concubines he had following the prophetic directive to do the will of God. The Pastor, according to him, said that Veronica used to be his wife but described her as ‘a falling wife.’
He also said, “ I do not do anything with any married woman until the full consent and agreement were sought and reached between the husband in line with the directives of the Holy Spirit to do the will of God, which is an act of spirituality.”
Inside the Ministry
When Crime Guard traced the Vineyard Ministry, it was discovered to be located right inside the compound of the father of the General Overseer without any sign post, while about 15 women and four men were seen taking lessons from an elderly woman who acts as an instructor in the vineyard.
The entrance to the Vineyard was barricaded with heavy iron gate which bares non-members.
However, a man who identified himself as Hilary told our reporter after a heated argument that the General Overseer traveled,and advised harshly that the reporter should go back.
As soon as Hilary left to invite others to compel the reporter to leave the premises, the reporter peeped through an opening and saw a large number of children and adult women scattered inside the compound barricaded with iron gate.
Neighbours react
When Crime Guard spoke with some residents of the area, they intimated that every thing about the ministry was shrouded in secrecy, alleging that children born inside the ministry are usually confined within the compound and denied communication with any other person outside. The children have are denied formal education, except the doctrine of the ministry.
…….Brother too
A brother to the pastor who pleaded anonymity told Crime Guard that he was not surprised that police invaded the ministry, explaining that all warnings by members of the family to compel Timothy to desist from the act fell on deaf ears.
“Let me tell you, God’s anger has befallen my brother. We have appealed to him several times to stop what he was doing but he refused. He has colonized our compound, bearing children with recklessness. He accused us of being jealous of him because he is doing the Will of God,”he stated.
Lamentations
Nodding his head in disgust, he continued, “look at these buildings here, he has converted all of them to himself in the name of vineyard. I can’t say exactly what influenced his spirit to the devilish act in the name of God.
He sacked his betrothed wife who has three children for him and embarked on impregnating married women and young girls. Look at the whole compound littered with children of different sexes and ages. How can an educated man of his status reason like an unrefined man? All members of the vineyard are fools.
How can a woman abandon her husband for another man in the name of worshiping God and practice adultery? I cannot get myself involved in this matter; Vero has opened the vessel of worms in the vineyard. Let them sort themselves out with the police but I want the ministry to be shut down completely,” he explained.
Excommunication
Investigations also revealed that the General Overseer was chased out of the St. John’s Catholic Church, Ihe-Owerri, Nsukka as an Assistant Catechist when Bishop Emeritus of Nsukka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Okobo, discovered that he was teaching heresy. He reportedly called him to order but he would not listen.
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