Come if you are one of those who write to insult women who fall prey to evil pastors; just pray it never happens to you because it is easy to sit in your office and point fingers without finding out from the victims.
I was a victim of such and I will tell you first hand, never blame the victim, focus your attention on the fake pastors and find out why they do this evil?
I was already married and my husband and I had just one child. My daughter was about three years old then. We could have had another child but at that time, my husband had lost his job and was on a temporary contract job for a multinational; he is a civil engineer. The contract was for one year and they said they couldnโt retain him because of their policy.
I, on the other hand, was a teacher in a private school and I was earning well, being a Masterโs holder.
Now, why was my husband out of a job andย working on contract? Something happened at his office and they had to first suspend him. Then after their investigations, they paid him off and asked him to leave.
What happened?
Without going into details, letโs just say my husband was accused alongside some colleagues of enriching themselves when they gave out contracts to suppliers.
My husband denied it even though I asked him over and over again whether he was involved. He told me he wasnโt and I believed him and at the end of the investigation, they werenโt sure he was involved; besides, he himself threatened to sue the company and it was on the basis of not being 100percent sure that they paid him off and asked him to leave.
So, there I was driving home after school hours. I stopped by at a popular supermarket but the car park was full, so I parked on the road.
As I locked the car to begin to walk to the supermarket; someone called my full name. I knew whoever it was would be someone who knew me. I turned. I didnโt recognize the person but I am by nature a polite person, I just smiled and said, โGood afternoon, please have we met?โ
He said he was pastor Oladele Williams. He seemee to have been in his 40s or so. He had a bit of grey and wore a jacketโฆin the hot afternoon!
Me, I donโt do pastors. I go to church, I pray and I am done, I donโt follow pastors.
But he knew my name!
So, I was curiousโฆand my curiosity almost got me killed!
Was he a parent? I am a teacher. I had been teaching for close to 6 years then; so maybe he was a parent of one of my pupils, who knew? Or was he an old senior school mate? Could be he was someone I grew up with on the same street? He could be anyone who I was sure, knew me well!
I asked again, โWhere did we mret?โ That was where it all became blurry; everything I tell you after this came to me days after so many things had happened.
Ok, so as I asked, โWhere did we meet, blah, blah blahโฆโ
He told me the problem my husband was facing at work, told me his staff number, his colleague’s names and told me he could help us get him reinstated. I remember him coming towards me; I remember us walking to my car. I remember I started the car and drove off. Mind you, I didnโt buy anything at the supermarket again.
Now, deep within me at that time; my mind was trying to tell me, donโt let him enter your car, no, call for help but another mind was like, are you in danger? He knows how to help your husband, donโt you want Sam to go back to that job? Donโt you want the life you had before? Donโt youโฆ
We went to a place that if you asked me to drive there now, I would never be able to find my way there. I drove, all I heard in my head was him saying, โTurn rightโฆ turn leftโฆ keep goingโฆโ
We got to a deserted house and went inside. I canโt truly recall what the interior looked like. I know before I could begin to reason well, I was in my undies. I remember feeling cold. I do not remember whether he raped me, he must have because I was sore for days. I am kind of glad I canโt remember that aspect; maybe my mind has chosen to completely block that part.
What am I saying here?
Everything that transpired was as if I was watching someone else do all the things he did. He took my money; in those days, ATM wasnโt so popular; I gave him my bag, my laptop, my carโฆ
My family was looking for me for two days.
I returned home finally and I totally canโt recall how I got home. I was bare feet, half naked and talking to myself. I was taken to the hospital and was on admission for four days!
Over what? Some evil pastor decided I was to be his next victim, by the way, who says he was even a pastor? Who says his name is what he said it was?
If I couldnโt recall where he took me to, how could I have assisted the police to locate him or my car?
This happened to me, I just thought to share; everything is not what it seems.
(Series written and edited by Peju Akande and based on true stories)