The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a Port Harcourt-based pastor and four members of his church following the circulation of a disturbing video showing minors being whipped during what appeared to be a religious ritual.
The cleric, identified as 41-year-old Pastor Ifediorah Joseph of Our Lord Victory Covenant Mission Church in Eneka, allegedly organized a three-day program for children, which he described as a “spiritual cleansing” directed by the Holy Spirit.
The now-viral video shows children, aged between five and nine, being beaten with palm tree leaves by the pastor as other church members look on. After each child is whipped, they are led away to a separate group referred to in the video as the “cleansed.”
Reacting to public outrage, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, ordered an immediate investigation. Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives raided the church premises and arrested Pastor Joseph along with four others suspected of participating in the incident.
Among those taken into custody were the church’s welfare secretary, Promise Nwikegha, and a minister, Deborah Ohia. Their arrests were confirmed by the Divisional Police Officer of Eneka Police Station, Akpo Lewis.
In a surprising twist, several parents of the affected children later gathered at the Eneka Police Division, singing and dancing in support of the embattled pastor. They claimed they had given full consent for their children to take part in the ritual and insisted no harm was done.
READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests Church General Overseer In Lagos For Alleged Drug Trafficking
One parent, Mrs. Ngozi Uzoma, described the activity as a harmless spiritual exercise. Echoing that sentiment, Pastor Ifediorah defended his actions, maintaining that the ritual was performed with parental approval and was intended solely for the spiritual purification of the children.
“I acted under the direction of the Holy Spirit,” he said, when questioned about the ritual, which allegedly included bathing the children with pigeon’s blood.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has since joined the investigation. Speaking to the press, NAPTIP Intelligence Officer Komani Timipire emphasized that parental consent does not negate a child’s right to protection from abuse. The agency is treating the case as a potential incident of child abuse.
The Rivers State Police Command has urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue. Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of minors involved.