Dare Babalola
The Pastor of a new generation church, Ifediorah Joseph, has been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command for allegedly dehumanising about 20 children.
According to the state spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, the 41-year-old pastor flogged all 20 children with palm fronds in the name of spiritual cleansing.
The suspect was apprehended in the Emeka community in Ohio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state where he completely naked all the children aged between five and nine years, in a viral video.
The children, who cried out of pain were later thrown at one of the pastor’s members who caught them in the air. Any parent who came to the venue of the cleansing was chased back for disrupting the process.
Iringe-Koko, while disclosing this in a post on X said Joseph claimed he was led by the Holy Spirit to carry out the deliverance.
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.”
Commenting on the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities or concerns to the nearest Police Station or other Security agencies for prompt action.
While expressing annoyance over the development, he called on the public to remain calm and peaceful while the investigation is ongoing.
