PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (BN24) — Authorities in Rivers State, Nigeria, have arrested 27 parents and five senior pastors in connection with a widely circulated video allegedly depicting the abuse of children during a so-called spiritual cleansing ritual.
The Rivers State Police Command said the arrests followed a high-level investigation launched after the footage, which showed minors undergoing what has been described as dehumanizing treatment, went viral on social media. The video sparked public outrage and calls for immediate government intervention.
Speaking to reporters at the Eneka Divisional Police Station in Port Harcourt, Police Public Relations Officer SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed that 32 children linked to the incident were rescued and are now in protective custody. The minors, some visibly traumatized, were reportedly subjected to harsh conditions under the pretense of exorcism and spiritual purification.
“The command remains committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of minors and will not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable,” Iringe-Koko said, emphasizing the police’s zero-tolerance stance on child rights violations.
Authorities have not disclosed the identities of those arrested, but the pastors are believed to be affiliated with local Pentecostal churches that allegedly endorse extreme deliverance practices. The parents, according to investigators, willingly subjected their children to the so-called cleansing rituals, citing spiritual beliefs.
The case has reignited debate around the abuse of children in the name of religion and the role of faith-based organizations in perpetuating harmful practices. Human rights groups have praised the police for acting swiftly but are urging the government to impose stricter oversight on religious institutions involved in unregulated spiritual activities.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests may follow as they work to dismantle what appears to be a coordinated network of child abuse masked as religious deliverance.
Credit: TVC NEWS
