Court to Hear Application for Protection of Alleged Rape Victim Against Pastor

The High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, will hear a case on 13 October about protecting a 14-year-old girl who says a pastor raped her. She is set to testify against the pastor, who is facing serious charges.

Judge Modupe Osho-Adebiyi wants to finish the trial quickly. She plans to hear the protection request on 13 October and will make a decision right after. If everything goes well, the trial could start that same day.

Mr Isah is the pastor and founder of the Prophetic Voice of Fire Ministry International in Gwagwalada, Abuja. He is facing eight charges, including raping the girl, child abduction, and sexual exploitation.

According to reports, Judge Osho-Adebiyi gave Mr Isah new bail conditions in May. She did not allow him to keep the old bail terms from another judge. Instead, she set stricter rules, including a N50 million bail bond and two sureties who must lead Pentecostal churches.

After granting bail, the judge postponed the case so the prosecution could call its first witness, the girl. But when the case came up on Tuesday, the prosecution said it had filed for protective measures for the girl before she testifies.

Both Mr Isah and the girl, whose identity is kept secret to protect her, were in court on Tuesday. Aderonke Imana, the prosecution lawyer from the Department of Public Prosecutions, said they filed for witness protection.

Mr Isah's lawyer, O.U. Sule, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court he had not seen the application. Judge Osho-Adebiyi found that the motion was sent to the wrong address. The prosecution then gave a copy of the application to Mr Sule, who asked for time to respond.

The judge, eager to finish the trial quickly, thought about setting a date before the court's annual break in July. But she finally chose 13 October to hear the application, make her ruling, and start the trial. She also scheduled 14 and 15 October for the trial to continue.

In the application filed on 25 September 2025, the prosecution asked the court to take special steps to protect the girl during the trial. They want her testimony to be given “by video link, behind a screen, or any other method the court thinks is best.” They also want the judge to hold the proceedings in private to keep the public and press out.

The prosecution also requested that the girl should testify “behind a screen, via video link, or through any method that hides her identity and avoids face-to-face contact with the pastor.” They want to stop any media from sharing her name, image, or any details that could identify her.

They argued that the girl is a minor and needs protection under Nigerian law because of the charges involving sexual violence. They believe that if she has to testify openly, she might face embarrassment and intimidation.

The prosecution added that testifying in public could cause her more psychological trauma and hurt her emotional recovery. They backed their application with several laws, including the Constitution and the Child Rights Act.

The prosecution said the Constitution allows courts to keep proceedings private to protect personal lives or serve justice. They also noted that laws empower courts to take protective measures for vulnerable witnesses.

They believe that the requested protective measures won’t harm the pastor's right to a fair hearing since he can still hear her testimony and cross-examine her. They framed the main question as whether the court should grant protective measures to keep the girl safe.

The prosecution hopes the court will agree with their request. Police arrested Mr Isah in June 2025 for allegedly raping the girl, who worked in his church’s media unit. He first faced charges in July 2025 before the case slowed down.

After the prosecution's request, the case was moved to Judge Osho-Adebiyi. On 14 May, Mr Isah was re-arraigned on the new eight charges of child rape and related offenses. On 26 May, he was granted bail of N50 million with the requirement of two sureties who must lead Pentecostal churches, which is much tougher than the N5 million bail given by the previous judge.