The Rivers State Police Command has arrested Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph, a 41-year-old pastor, over allegations of child dehumanization in his church.
The arrest followed the circulation of a disturbing video clip, less than two minutes long, showing at least 20 children kneeling while clutching palm leaves as a man repeatedly flogged them with fronds. Most of the minors in the video were unclad.
The narrator in the video claimed the incident took place in a church in Eneka, Port Harcourt, and that the children had been subjected to lacerations and maltreatment for several days. A voice in the background said, “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.”
The voice added, “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 children one after another to a man and woman dressed in white after whipping them.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Grace Iringe-Koko, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, disclosed that the pastor had organized a three-day “spiritual cleaning” program for the children. The statement read, “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 further noted, “Upon receiving this information, Operatives from the Rivers State Police Command, through coordinated intelligence, arrested the pastor and several church members at the scene.”
The police assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to uncover the full details of the incident.
“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 statement added.
The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, urged the public to remain calm while the investigation continues.
“He urges members of the public to report any suspicious activities or concerns to the nearest Police Station or other Security agencies,” the statement added.