A 41-year-old pastor, Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph, seen in a viral video flogging naked children in his church has been arrested by operatives of the Rivers State police command.
In a viral video, about 20 children seen on their knees holding palm leaves were beaten with fronds by Onyeibor.
According to the narrator in the footage, the incident took place in a church in Eneka, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, adding that the victims had been 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 stated.
“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.
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.”
