A Sango Magistrates’ Court in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, has ordered the remand of Pastor Samuel Atolagbe Sunday, 54, over allegations of sexually assaulting a minor and church member.

The accused, identified as the general overseer of a church in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area (LGA), faces a single-count charge of rape under Section 283 of the Penal Code.

The case was reported to police on 1 March 2025 by Arowolo Kemishola, the victim’s mother, who provided critical evidence to initiate the investigation.

According to the charge sheet, the complainant said, “On 28/02/2025 at about 20:00hrs, the accused came to their house to invite her daughter, 13, to the Babalola Annual Prayer programme at Odo-Owa.

“Based on the trust I had for the pastor,I allowed her daughter to go with him. But on March 1, 2025, my daughter told me that Pastor Sunday lured her to his house where he forcefully had sexual intercourse with her without her consent,” the sheet added.

The police told the court that the accused confessed to the crime. In his ruling, Magistrate H. A. Alege, remanded the suspect at the federal correctional facility in Ilorin and adjourned the case to March 14, 2025.