A 56-year-old man, Festus James, who claimed to be a prophet, has confessed to the rape of an eight-month pregnant lady at Agbabu village near Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

James made the confession while speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Akure, after he was paraded with six other suspects for various crimes by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Funmilayo Odunlam.

According to him, “I came to Agbabu town for a three-day revival but on the second day of the revival, the parents of the girl came to meet him for spiritual help for their daughter.

“So I asked her parents to take her to the river for cleansing, and I don’t know how she came to meet me at the place I was given by one of the villagers for the revival.

“I don’t know how we had sex and immediately when I had sex with her, I started crying because I was wondering how it happened.

“I will not lie, I had sex with her, but I didn’t force her. I know that it is the devil that wanted to disgrace me where people respect me,” he said.

Earlier, Odunlami explained that James was arrested on November 13, 2021, and said the suspect had claimed that the Holy Spirit directed him to hold  a 3-day Holy Ghost Revival in a church in the village.

“Festus James who is from Ibadan in Oyo State, went to Agbabu village via Ore, claimed to be a Prophet and that the Holy Spirit directed him to have a 3-day Holy Ghost Revival in a church in the village.

“The next day, the prophet claimed to have seen a vision concerning a 22-year-old lady who was 8 months pregnant and told her to wait behind after the programme.

“He took the pregnant lady into one of the rooms in the mission house under the guise of delivering her from an evil spirit and had carnal knowledge of her,” she said.

The PPRO called on members of the public to be weary about people around them, and said the suspect would be charged to court after investigation.