The police command in Rivers has arrested Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph, a 41-year-old pastor, over alleged “dehumanisation” of children in his church.
In a less than two-minute clip making the round online, at least 20 children were seen kneeling and clutching palm leaves, as a man serially flogged them with palm fronds.
Most of the minors in the video were unclad.
The narrator relayed that the setting was a church in Port Harcourt and that the children had been lacerated and maltreated for days on end.
“Only God knows if they kidnapped these children. There is blood in that basin. They flog these children, naked them… both boys and girls and this is Day 3. The other day, we couldn’t sleep in the night,” a voice in the background detailed.
“The children are crying. They are beating them as you can see, and this has been going on for days now. The children have marks on their bodies.”
In the clip, a man was seen tossing the kids one after the other, to a man and woman clad in white, after whipping them.
‘SPIRITUAL CLEANING’
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police spokesperson, said the pastor organised a 3-day “spiritual cleaning” programme for the children.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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.
“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, urges the public to remain calm and peaceful while the investigation is ongoing.
“He urges members of the public to report any suspicious activities or concerns to the nearest Police Station or other Security agencies.”
