The Lagos State Special Crimes Court, sitting in Ikeja, sentenced a 63-year-old religious man, Chris Douglas, to life imprisonment for raping the daughter of a member of his church.

In his judgment delivered on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Judge Rahman Oshodi found that Douglas, the general manager of the Peculiar Generation Assembly church of Oshodi in Lagos, had abused his position of authority and trust to exploit the victim.

Describing these actions as a serious breach of trust, the judge stated: "The defendant held a position of spiritual authority and was considered a father figure by the victim and her family."

He added that instead of protecting this trust, the convicted man "betrayed it in the most reprehensible way."

The court concluded that the abuse had occurred repeatedly in a hotel, noting that the victim and her family relied on the religious figure for spiritual support.

Judge Oshodi further stated that the prosecution had proven that the victim had suffered severe psychological trauma as a result of the abuse.

"The court accepts the evidence that the victim suffered from depression and recurring suicidal thoughts as a direct result of the defendant's actions," he said.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by the director of public prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins, called five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and a doctor.

Medical and documentary evidence was also presented.

The victim told the court that the religious leader had drugged and raped her in September 2017.

"I trusted him like a spiritual father. I never imagined he could do this to me," she testified.

His mother also told the court that she confronted the convicted man after discovering the incident.

"I went to his church, he cried and said it was the work of the devil. He begged us in front of the elders," she said.

The complainant stated that the case was subsequently reported to a human rights organization, the Makinde police station, and the Mirabel center for a medical examination.

The defendant, however, denied the allegations and told the court that the relationship was consensual.

But Judge Oshodi rejected this allegation, finding that the evidence presented in court established the rape beyond a reasonable doubt.

"The defense based on consent is not supported by all the evidence presented to the court," the judge ruled.

The court considered the oral and written evidence and took into consideration the objections raised by the defence under the Evidence Act of 2011.

Although some documents were dismissed for non-compliance, the court ruled that the oral testimony of the medical expert, Dr. Maria Fadaka, remained admissible.

In its judgment, the court noted that although some alleged incidents had not been sufficiently proven to have occurred before January 2018, the prosecution was able to establish the rape in relation to incidents that occurred when the victim was already 18 years old.