The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 41-year-old pastor, Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph, over alleged “dehumanisation” of children in his church.
In a video clip of less than two minutes circulating online, about 20 children are seen kneeling and holding palm leaves while a man repeatedly flogs them with palm fronds.
Most of the children in the footage appeared unclad.
The narrator in the video claimed the incident occurred in a church in Port Harcourt, alleging that the children had been lacerated and mistreated for several days.
“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 recounted.
“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.”
The clip also shows a man tossing the children, one by one, to a man and woman dressed in white after whipping them.
‘SPIRITUAL CLEANING’
In a statement on Wednesday, Rivers police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said the pastor had organised a three-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.”