Nigeria: Bayelsa Pastor Arrested Over Alleged Defilement of 2 Minors

What the report says

Police in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, have arrested a 50-year-old pastor, Ambros Mark, over allegations that he sexually abused two girls aged 13 and 14 in Yenagoa, the state capital. According to the reporting carried by AllAfrica from Leadership, the suspect leads Point of Redemption Church International in the Amarata area of Yenagoa and was taken in after a complaint was filed.

The article says the case came to light after the 14-year-old reportedly objected to the alleged abuse and told her father, who is a police officer attached to the state command. The police public relations officer, Musa Mohammed, said the matter was first handled by the “A” Division and then directed to be transferred to state headquarters for further investigation and possible prosecution. The report also states that the suspect allegedly admitted the offence during preliminary questioning.

The two alleged victims were described as church choir members, with one identified as from Abia State and the other as an indigene of Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa. The report further said there were unverified claims that attempts were made to settle the matter privately, though those claims were not independently established.

Women’s rights group FIDA in Bayelsa said it was monitoring the case and urged a thorough investigation and prosecution. The development matters because it highlights concerns about child protection, allegations of abuse within religious settings, and the need for legal and psychosocial support for minors while authorities pursue the case.