Vigilance group in trouble over ‘Pastor who defiled 3 daughters’

Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt

Authorities of Rivers Police Command have directed the Divisional Police Crime Officer in charge of Igbo-Etche in Etche Local Government area  to arrest members of  Onelga Security, Peace Advisory Committee, OSPAC, a local vigilance group, for stripping a Pastor naked and parading him over allegation that he defiled his three daughters.

It was learnt that the Pastor of the new generation church located in Chuwuta Igbo-Etche axis of Etche LGA allegedly confessed to the crime in a  video which has since gone viral on the social media.

The Pastor was allegedly beaten in the presence of his wife and son for the act by members of the vigilance group.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the son reported his father to the security outfit after he learnt that his mother has been covering up his dad’s dirty deeds.

It was gathered that on getting the report, members of OSPAC operating in the area without recourse to the Police Divisional Headquarters, went to the Pastor’s residence, took him outside and stripped him naked.

In the viral video, a member of the vigilance group was seen asking the alleged Pastor why he defiled his daughters.

The Pastor responded that he was bewitched by his mother.

The Pastor said, “It is because of a witchcraft force. My mother told me not to marry this woman (pointing to the wife), but I continued to marry her. So, my mother did that to punish me and bring shame on me.”

“My church is in Chuwuta in Ibgbo-Etche. I have many members but I have not had sex with any of the women in my church.”

On hearing the “confession”, leader of the vigilance group, slapped the cleric, while two other members flogged him with canes.

A member of the group turned to the suspect’s wife, who said she was 56 years old, demanding what she did after discovering the crime.

“I cannot do anything because I love my husband and I cover him. But I told him not to do it again. I cover him. But I told him not to do it again. I cover him because of love,” she replied.

When asked to speak, the Pastor’s son, who reported the matter to the vigilance group, said his father laid curse on him for exposing his secret.

The leader of the vigilance group then compelled the suspect to reverse the curse.

It was gathered that he was later taken to a nearby Police Station.

However, the spokesman for the State Police command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, but expressed anger at the way the vigilance group treated the matter which, according to him, was crude and out rightly illegal.

Omoni, who is also a lawyer, expressed anger at the volumes of cases of abuse of human and People’s rights reported to the Police Command on daily basis concerning the method of Operation of the local vigilance groups.

“The Vigilantes are supposed to hand  over any suspect  they apprehend for whatever alleged criminal offence to the Police for thorough investigation. But not to torture, detain and parade suspects naked in public is not allowed. Suspects have rights too”.

“All those involved in the matter, including the vigilantes, will be arrested for taking the law into their hands. They compounded the situation by not reporting to the Police. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of that area has been mandated to bring all those behind it to justice”.

Meanwhile, a human rights advocacy group,  Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has called on OSPAC to immediately hand over to the so-called ‘Pastor’  who was arrested by the group to the Police.

Prince Wiro, Secretary, Board of Trustee of the group said intelligence available to the group indicate that the man who was stripped naked in a viral video was not handed over to the Police after the intervention by some persons.

Mr Wiro disclosed that in as much as the organization commend OSPAC for arresting the ‘Pastor’ the group frown at a situation where the suspect is allowed to go home without proper investigation by the Police.

Mr Wiro stated that the group has also reached out to the OSPAC Commander in in Igbo Etche who confirmed that they stormed the man’s house as a result of fight between the man and his son over the alleged rape.

Wiro told our correspondent on telephone that “only a discreet investigation by the Police will unravel if the ‘Pastor’ is culpable or not and if he is culpable, he should be made to face the law.

He said the organization will use means known to the law to ensure OSPAC in IgboEtche is held accountable if the suspect is not handed over to the Police”.

According to Wiro, “We condemned the alleged stripping of the suspect naked as it is a violation of his rights to human dignity. A suspect is presumed innocent until pronounced guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction”.