The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has stated that some parents defending a Rivers State pastor arrested for flogging children during a “spiritual cleansing” need counselling.
Nwamaka Ikediashi, NAPTIP’s Rivers State official, made the comment during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, while he was providing an update on the event.
Ikediashi described the flogging as “a total case of child abuse”, pointing out that the parents were also victims.
NAPTIP said, “The parents are victims, and they are supposed to be made to understand the implications of this whole thing, and that can only be made possible via counselling.”
The pastor, Ifediorah Joseph, was arrested by authorities for flogging over 20 children during a three-day session in Port Harcourt under the premise of “spiritual cleansing”.
Following his detention, some youths and their parents rushed the police station, singing and dancing in support of him.
One parent told journalists she consented to the act, claiming the ritual was meant to save the children from a looming threat.
“My daughter was among the children that were purified. The message was that death was in the air, and they should purify the children. They did the purification with pigeon blood, water and palm fruit,” the parent said.
The NAPTIP official added, “The parents are victims as well because they do not understand the implications, but if they did understand, they would not let their children be subjected to such inhuman treatment and torture.”
The Rivers State Police Command stated that enquiries into the case were still underway.
Authorities said the pastor planned a three-day programme for kids, claiming it was prompted by the Holy Spirit.
The footage, which was published on social media, prompted a quick police response.
Officers raided the church, arrested the pastor and other church members, and rescued the children, who were later placed in protective custody.
