Pastor arraigned for allegedly raping 3 school pupils

A pastor, Emmanuel Mathew, 50, appeared before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for allegedly raping three pupils in a school at Mpape, Abuja.

Mathew, who is the general overseer of a church in Mpape and proprietor of the primary school where the victims attended, was arraigned on a five-count charge.

The prosecutor, Stanley Nwodo, told the court that the accused raped two seven-year-old and a nine-year-old pupils on different occasions in the school.

Nwodo said the offence contravened Section 283 of the penal code which, if convicted, attracted 14 years imprisonment, with an option of fine or both.

Mathew pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After arraignment, counsel for the accused, Mr Uya Yamah, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

The prosecutor did not oppose the application, because the accused had been on administrative bail.

In his ruling, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 and a surety in like sum, while he adjourned the case till January 21, 2014.