The Ogun State Police Command has detained a Celestial Church pastor, identified as Omogbolahan Israel Idowu, over allegations of sexually abusing his 16-year-old stepdaughter.
The arrest followed a petition by the Lagos State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), which accused the pastor of abusing the teenager from the age of 14 and threatening to kill her if she reported the incidents.
According to the petition dated October 26, 2026, the alleged abuse began after the teenager’s mother, Bukola Rachel Omogbolahan, married Idowu and moved with her children into his residence in the Ologbo Ark area of Shimawa, Ogun State.
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The organisation alleged that the abuse continued after the girl turned 16. It also claimed that the pastor threatened to kill her if she revealed what was happening, leaving her and her elder brother afraid for their safety.
CDHR said it petitioned the police, requesting an investigation, the arrest and prosecution of the suspect if found culpable, and protection for the children.
The organisation disclosed that the Shimawa Divisional Police Officer received the petition on October 27. The police subsequently invited the suspect, his wife and another pastor for questioning.
It said the suspect and the teenager’s mother were detained after their statements were obtained.
The teenager was also taken to Shimawa General Hospital on October 28 for medical examinations, with the results reportedly submitted to investigators.
CDHR further disclosed that the case was transferred to the Ogun State Police Command headquarters in Eleweran on October 30 before being moved to the D3 Gender Unit in Oke-Ilewo.
According to the organisation, Idowu allegedly admitted during questioning to having sexual contact with the teenager, claiming he had only fingered her once and had sex with her once.
The human rights group said the suspect remained in detention as investigations continued. It added that police promised to inform it about the date and time of his arraignment after completing their investigation.
The organisation expressed concern over the safety of the teenager and her brother, particularly following the alleged death threat.
Efforts to obtain comments from the investigating police officer, Superintendent of Police Kafaya, and the Ogun State Police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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