Pastor Favour Maxy Okoise, who leads the Refiners Fire Global Assembly, has received a life sentence after being found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl he called his \"spiritual daughter\" in Calabar, Cross River State, according to CrossRiverWatch.

The court\'s decision followed a case pushed by Gender and Development Action (GADA) and was handed down by Hon. Justice Blessing Egwu Obin at the Family Court of the Cross River State Customary Court of Appeal. The pastor exploited the young girl between November and December of 2016 in the Calabar South area.

The young woman, whose identity is kept private for her safety, had moved to Calabar in August 2016 to take her Post UTME exam and was living with her sister on Goldie Street. Okoise often visited their home to give spiritual guidance.

She testified that he harassed her and touched her inappropriately on several occasions. After trying unsuccessfully to force her into sex, he convinced her that “God needed her body just as much as her spirit and soul.” He claimed he could pass on spiritual benefits through sexual relations, coercing her into complying while making her see him as her \"spiritual father\" who could help her serve God.

When announcing the verdict, Justice Obin stated that after reviewing the evidence and testimonies, it was clear that Okoise had engaged in unlawful sexual acts with the minor.

Referring to the Cross River State Child Protection Law of 2003, she declared, “Favour Maxy Okoise has been sentenced to life in prison and must pay the survivor 1 million Naira in compensation. This is the ruling of this court.”

Barrister Doris Nduanusi, one of the lawyers from GADA, voiced her support for the court\'s ruling, saying, “We need more activists and more voices out there to raise awareness and help combat these issues, showing that such actions have consequences.”