An Interpreter with the Redeemed Christian Church of God allegedly raped a 12 year old girl.

An interpreter with the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital, Akin Adewale, who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl absconded on Wednesday when the police tried to arrest him.

Mr. Adewale has now been declared wanted by the police.

The suspect, who lives at number 6 Shamusideen, Oke-Sokori area of Abeokuta, Wednesday, bolted through the back door when police arrived at his house to affect his arrest.

Seven days ago, the Ogbe unit of the Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, arrested the suspect after he made a confessional statement following a complaint by the victim’s mother. He was, however, let off the hook without the OPC reporting or handing him over to the police.

When the Ogun State Police Command heard about the case, they went to the interpreter’s home. But the interpreter outsmarted the police officers and bolted as soon as he sighted them.

The police have issued an order to the OPC to produce the suspect in the next 24 hours. There are suspicions that the OPC might have aided the interpreter especially since they failed to hand him over to the police even after he confessed to having committed the crime.

When contacted on phone, the OPC coordinator, Akeem Bakene, confirmed that his group had apprehended the suspect. Mr. Bakene, however, kept mum when he was asked if the interpreter was handed over to the police.

Redeemed Church intervenes

Lekan Ademosun, the pastor of the church where Mr. Adewale serves an interpreter told PREMIUM TIMES that the church is aware of the crime. The pastor also said the church tried to intervene but washed its hands of the case so that its name is not tarnished.

“The offence was not committed in the church, we cannot deny the fact that we are aware, I tried to mediate, we mediate as a church. He is a member of the church, we did not ask him to commit the crime.

“We don’t want the name of our church to be soiled, so we have to wash off our hands, we did our best to mediate” Mr. Ademosun stated

The 12-year-old victim is said to be the daughter of a member of the church. She was residing with the suspect’s family before the incident.