Anambra Court Jails Choir Master 25 Years for Raping Teenager Under Guise of Deliverance

An Anambra State High Court sitting in Ogidi has sentenced a church choir master and teacher, James Mary Onuorah, to 25 years imprisonment for raping a 16 year old girl under the guise of conducting spiritual deliverance.

Justice Chudi Nwankwo convicted Onuorah on charges of rape and offensive conduct.

The court also sentenced him to seven years imprisonment for offensive conduct, with both sentences to run concurrently, and ordered him to pay ₦5 million as compensation to the victim.

The prosecution told the court that Onuorah, who served as a choir master and church teacher at Iba Pope Parish, Awada, deceived the victim’s mother into believing that her daughters were possessed by marine spirits and required spiritual deliverance.

Acting on his advice, the mother allowed the girls to attend prayer sessions at his residence in Awada, Obosi, where he sexually abused the teenager.

The abuse resulted in the victim becoming pregnant and giving birth to a child. A hospital discharge record confirming the delivery was admitted as evidence.

Four prosecution witnesses testified during the trial, including the victim and her elder sister. In his judgment, Justice Nwankwo held that the prosecution proved the offences of rape and offensive conduct beyond reasonable doubt, describing the victim’s testimony as credible and consistent. The court noted that the pregnancy and subsequent childbirth corroborated her account.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted Onuorah on a separate charge of indecent assault involving the victim’s elder sister, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish the allegation due to the absence of a formal complaint or report when the incident allegedly occurred.

Onuorah denied the charges throughout the trial. The court also rejected his confessional statement for failing to comply with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State.

While the prosecution urged the court to impose the maximum punishment prescribed under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Law of Anambra State, the convict pleaded for leniency.

Justice Nwankwo nevertheless imposed the prison sentence and compensation order, describing the evidence against the defendant as compelling.