Rivers State Police Command has arrested a pastor of a new generation church, Ifediorah Joseph for allegedly dehumanising about 20 children.
A viral video on social media showed footage of the pastor and his assistants flogging the children, some of them stripped naked, with palm fronds, in the name of spiritual cleansing.
The children, aged between five and nine years, cried pains as they were thrown at one of the church members who caught them in the air.
It was reported that any parent who came to the venue of the cleansing was chased back for disrupting the process.
Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, said the 41-year-old pastor was apprehended in the Emeka community in Ohio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Iringe-Koko, in a statement posted on X, said Joseph claimed he was led by the Holy Spirit to carry out the deliverance.
Said the PPRO, “The Rivers State Police Command has taken swift action in response to a distressing online video, circulating on social media, depicting the dehumanisation 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 organised 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.”
Meanwhile, River State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities or concerns to the nearest police station or other security agencies for prompt action.
