A Benin-based pastor, simply identified as Okehielem Simeon, has been remanded in a Correctional Custodial Centre for allegedly raping and impregnating one Mrs. Isoken Vivian Aigbedo, a housewife.
DAILY POST reports that the 38-year-old pastor, popularly known as Ebube Wonder, is the General Overseer of Ebube Wonders Synagogue Prayers Ministry, a.k.a. “Healing and Deliverance Mountain.”
The married woman, Mrs. Isoken Vivian Aigbedo, is a member of the church located in the Uholor community on Upper Ekenwa Road in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.
He was remanded in the correctional centre for an initial period of 14 days by the presiding judge of the Benin Criminal Division, Justice A.N. Erhabor.
Justice Erhabor ordered that the accused be remanded in the correctional centre pending the rendering of legal advice on the case from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Edo State.
The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of rape and allegedly drugging the married woman, leading to pregnancy and the subsequent birth of a child.
He was alleged to have committed the offence in February 2022.
In an ex parte motion in suit number BLOD/2323M/2025 between the Commissioner of Police, the complainant/applicant, and Okehielem Simeon, the accused, the Police Prosecutor, P.O. Odion, prayed the court to remand the accused to a correctional centre for an initial period of two weeks.
The two-count charges are:
Count 1: That you, Okehielem Simeon ‘m’, on or about the month of February 2022 in Benin City, within the Benin Criminal Division, did rape one Mrs. Isoken Vivian Aigbedo and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 and punishable under Section 5(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2021.
Count 2: That you, Okehielem Simeon ‘m’, on or about the month of February 2022 in Benin City, within the Benin Criminal Division, with intent to commit a felony, used means calculated to stupefy one Mrs. Isoken Vivian Aigbedo by giving her some substance to swallow and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 256 of the Criminal Law of Edo State, 2022.
Speaking to newsmen, Clinton Ogbebor, counsel to the married woman, said the accused, in February 2022, raped his client, who is married to Mr. Aigbedo Owe.
Ogbebor alleged that the rape led to the birth of a child.
He said that based on the incident, his client petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, who thereafter launched an investigation into the matter in 2024.
He said all efforts since the commencement of the investigation by the police to track the accused had been unsuccessful.
Ogbebor said it was not until recently that the police were able to arrest the pastor, and a DNA paternity test was conducted on the child his client allegedly bore as a result of the rape.
“The paternity test came out sometime last week, and it was read to the audience sometime this Monday, wherein it was disclosed that Pastor Simeon Okehielem was the father of the child.
“By the DNA test, he was 99.9% the father.
“Upon this, the police moved into action and rearrested him, and today, the 10th day of July 2025, they have decided to arraign him before the State High Court here in Benin City, particularly the Criminal Division, wherein he has been remanded to Benin Correctional Centre here in Benin City.
“The court has also made an order to the effect that the case file should be duplicated to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Benin City for legal advice. So, we’ll take it off from there,” he said.
