Anambra State security operatives have arrested Favour Ezani, a self-styled evangelist and General Overseer of a Pentecostal church in the Amichi community of Nnewi South Local Government Area, for allegedly raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl who was placed in his care for spiritual healing.
The suspect was apprehended by men of the Special Anti-Touting Squad (SASA), a state government security outfit, following a report filed by a security personnel from the neighbouring community of Igboukwu.
According to the spokesperson for the outfit, Karen James, the victim — identified as Miss Precious Okafor — was handed over to Ezani by her aunt, who sought the clergyman’s intervention over the teenager’s alleged stubborn behaviour. The victim’s mother, who resides in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was reportedly not consulted before the handover was made.
The abuse, according to the victim, began in November 2025 — shortly after she arrived at the suspect’s home.
“Daddy Ezani started having forceful s*x with me a few days after I arrived in his house forthe special deliverance. I was handed over to him by my aunt to deliver me from stubbornness without the consent of my mother who resides in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,” she said.
The teenager further revealed that Ezani carried out the abuse in multiple locations over an extended period.
“He has slept with me countless times inside his church, farm, and residence before the rescue came,” she said, adding that the suspect threatened to kill her if she disclosed what was happening.
The abuse only came to light when the victim’s aunt discovered she was pregnant and questioned her. The victim named Ezani as the perpetrator.
In what security officials described as a disturbing attempt to cover his tracks, Ezani allegedly gave the girl a mixture of bitter leaf and other herbs to terminate the pregnancy. Speaking from what appeared to be a critical condition, the victim described the devastating aftermath.
“As I speak to you now, blood is coming out from my private part as a result of the mixed concoctions Daddy Ezani gave me to drink to abort the pregnancy. I have no money to go to the hospital for proper treatment,” she said.
Ezani, who reportedly told the girl she “came from the even seas of the world” and required urgent deliverance, has since confessed to the crime. He reportedly pleaded for leniency from security operatives, promising to cover the victim’s medical bills if released.
He remains in police custody.
