Spiritualist Rapes, Impregnates Woman In The Name Of Deliverance.

An herbalist, Ifatade Elegbeleye has been arrested and charged before an Ojokoro Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, Nigeria for allegedly defrauding a woman seeking a husband. Although this is not the first time such is happening but this case took another dimension

He supposedly swindled her of N2m and raped her at his shrine.


The 31-year old professional, Temidayo Akinwale, who is now with child, met her fate when she contacted the herbalist to help her from strange spirits that prevented her from getting a husband.

The incident happened at Elegbeyele’s shrine established at Ayobo street in Ayobo-Ipaja local area.

The accused was arraigned on a six-count ascribe of fraud, stealing and having sex under false pretences.

Elegbeleye who is chilling his heels in jail custody, according to the policeman, lured his victim to a shrine and notified her that he needed to do some rituals to help her from religious husband that stopped her from getting a husband.

The 65-year old victim’s mother, Mrs Mary Akinwale, while testifying before the court, narrated how the accused lured her daughter to his shrine, raped and impregnated her.

The distraught mother notified the court that Elegbeleye prophesied to her daughter that she was owned by a  spiritual husband that would avert her from getting married and asked her to pay some amount of cash for religious cleansing.

She said that her daughter who was aghast of the prophesy, paid the cash and was taking to a river in the midnight at Ipaja locality, where she was bathed with religious lather, supplementing that after the bath, she still could not get a husband.

She testified that the accussed asked for her daughter again to his shrine and raped her, supplementing that she is now with child.

In his answer, Elegeleye told the court that he really delivered her of a religious husband, adding that he did not collect the cash she accused him of collecting.

He said he has been doing religious deliverance for years and have liberated numerous persons.

When asked to commentary on the allegations of rape and pregnancy, he declined to talk.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Layinka granted him bail in the addition of N200,000 with two sureties in  addition.

He was remanded in jail custody at Kirikiri pending the fulfilment of the bail status.

The issue was adjourned till 21 December for continuation of trial.