Residents of Orlu, Imo State, have been left stunned after police arrested a local pastor and his accomplice over the alleged sexual assault of a young woman — and in a separate case, detained a man accused of killing his own father.
The Imo State Police Command confirmed that 32-year-old Pastor Ikenna Emmanuel, who leads the Authentic Power City Church in Umuobom, Ideato-South LGA, was apprehended alongside 34-year-old Franklin Chizoba.
Police spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye said the duo allegedly lured a 20-year-old woman to Emmanuel’s home on the pretext of conducting “special prayers” for her. Upon arrival, she was reportedly given a drink, which made her feel dizzy — a state investigators believe was exploited by the suspects to commit the assault.
Acting on a swift report, officers from the Orlu Divisional Headquarters moved in and arrested both men. During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to the assault and also admitted to engaging in homosexual acts. They have since been arraigned in court and remanded at the Owerri Correctional Facility pending trial.
Meanwhile, police in Orlu are also investigating a chilling family tragedy. In a separate case, 39-year-old Ifeanyi Odinka allegedly stabbed his 75-year-old father, Denis Odinka, to death following a heated dispute over the sharing of proceeds from a land sale.
The suspect, a native of Amaifeke in Orlu, reportedly confessed to the killing and has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Owerri, where detectives are preparing the case for prosecution.
The two cases have sparked outrage in the community, with residents calling for justice and tougher measures to curb violent and sexual crimes in the state.