Operatives of the Ekeki Division, Bayelsa State Police Command, have arrested a pastor and his wife in Yenagoa in connection with the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl and an illegal abortion procured for the victim.
The wife was arrested for allegedly paying ₦120,000 to facilitate the termination of the pregnancy. The victim is reported to be her cousin.
It was gathered that the arrests occurred during a Sunday service, causing confusion among the congregation.
The pastor initially fled through the back door but later turned himself in after his wife was taken into custody on church premises.
Eyewitnesses reported that the pastor allegedly abused the minor on multiple occasions, both on church premises and at his home, before she became pregnant.
Members of the Women Against Gender-based Violence and Do Foundation confirmed the incident to journalists.
The group stated that an initial interview with the victim revealed the abuse took place five times starting from November 2025.
The advocacy group added that the pastor allegedly exploited the girl on occasions when she visited the church to deliver a local bread known as Madiga to his wife.
It was gathered that the suspects remain in police custody as investigation continues.
Illegal Abortions in Nigeria: What Experts Say
Illegal abortions remain a major public health concern in Nigeria, where abortion is only legally permitted to save the life of the mother under the Criminal Code (Southern states) and Penal Code (Northern states).
Despite the restrictive laws, unsafe abortions are widespread, contributing significantly to maternal mortality
.According to the Guttmacher Institute (2020–2025 research reports), approximately 1.25 million induced abortions occur annually in Nigeria, with around 60% classified as unsafe.The institute estimates that unsafe abortions cause 8–11% of maternal deaths nationwide.
Dr. Friday Okonofua, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Benin and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, has repeatedly stated in interviews and publications (including The Guardian Nigeria, 2023, and Premium Times, 2024) that unsafe abortions are a leading cause of preventable maternal deaths among adolescents and young women in Nigeria.
He emphasized that restrictive laws drive women to clandestine providers, increasing risks of haemorrhage, sepsis, and long-term infertility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2022–2025 African region reports noted that Nigeria accounts for a substantial share of the continent’s estimated 15 million annual unsafe abortions.
WHO Africa Regional Office (2024 briefing) described unsafe abortion as one of the top five causes of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria bearing a heavy burden due to limited access to safe services and post-abortion care.
Professor Oladapo Shittu, former President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), said in a 2025 Channels Television interview that criminalizing abortion does not reduce its incidence but pushes it underground, leading to higher complications and deaths.
He advocated for expanded access to contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, and post-abortion care to reduce harm.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) have issued joint statements (2024–2025) calling for decriminalization in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormalities, and threats to maternal health, citing evidence that safe, legal abortion services in countries with liberal laws drastically lower maternal mortality.
Experts consistently stress that addressing illegal abortions requires improved reproductive health education, affordable contraception, better emergency obstetric care, and policy reform to reduce the estimated 10,000–20,000 annual deaths linked to unsafe procedures in Nigeria.