The Rivers State Police Command has announced that its operatives have arrested the Pastor of a new generation church for allegedly manhandling about 20 children in the name of spiritual cleansing in Emeka community in Ohio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The children, all completely naked aged between five and nine years were said to have been broght to the pastor during a three-day deliverance programme.
In a viral video, the Pastor identified as Ifediorah Joseph, was seen by our correspondent using palm tree leafs to whip each of the minors severally on their heads and other parts of the body.
During the flogging spree, the children groan in pain and cried for help, but the cleric continues whipping them and afterwards grabs each on one hand and throws them like a piece of thrash to one of his members who catches them on the air.
After catching them, he places all those who have been supposedly ‘cleansed’ on one side and waited for the others until the process was complete.
Our correspondent also reports that one of the parents who surfaced on hearing the wailing of their youngsters was rebuked and chased back by the pastor for attempting to disrupt the cleansing process.
It was gathered that stripping the minors was part of the cleansing procedure before taking them through the rest of painful procedure which takes about one minute for each child.
The State Police in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the pastor claimed he was led by the Holy Spirit to carry out the deliverance.
Iringe-Koko, further said acting on credible intelligence, operatives stormed the Church, arrested the 41-year-old Pastor, several members and rescued the children numbering about 20.
The police statement was titled “Arrest of Pastor and Rescue of Victims in Connection with Minors’ Dehumanization’.
The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has taken swift action in response to a distressing online video, circulating on social media, depicting the dehumanization of minors within a Church setting, where the presiding Pastor, Pastor Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph, ‘m’ aged 41, has been arrested in connection with the incident .
“Preliminary investigations reveal that Pastor Ifediorah allegedly organized a 3-day program for children in his Church, purportedly for “spiritual cleaning,” claiming to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.
“Upon receiving this information, Operatives from the Rivers State Police Command through coordinated intelligence, arrested the pastor and several Church members at the scene.
“A thorough investigation is currently underway to unravel the circumstances surrounding this incident. Further updates will be made public as more information becomes available”.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has expressed annoyance over the development but called on the public to remain calm and peaceful while investigation is ongoing.
CP Adepoju, however, urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities or concerns to the nearest Police Station or other Security agencies for prompt action.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all citizens, particularly the vulnerable in the populations like minors.
“The Command will continue to work tirelessly to address any issues that may compromise the security and dignity of individuals within our State”, the statement concluded.
Credit: punchng.com
