The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has said some parents defending a Rivers State pastor arrested for flogging children during a “spiritual cleansing” exercise require urgent counselling.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, NAPTIP’s Rivers State official, Nwamaka Ikediashi, described the incident as “a total case of child abuse,” adding that the parents were also victims who did not understand the implications of their actions.
“The parents are victims and they are supposed to be made to understand the implications of this whole thing, and that can only be made possible via counselling,” she said.
The pastor, identified as Ifediorah Joseph, was arrested in Port Harcourt for flogging more than 20 children during a three-day programme he claimed was directed by the Holy Spirit.
The event, according to police, involved minors and included rituals performed with pigeon blood, water, and palm fruit.
Following his arrest, some parents and children visited the police station singing and dancing in solidarity with the pastor.
One parent told reporters she had given consent, claiming the ritual was intended to protect the children from an impending threat.
Ikediashi stressed that the parents’ support for the act underscored the need for awareness and education on child rights. “If they did understand, they would not let their children be subjected to such inhuman treatment and torture,” she said.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that investigations are ongoing, while the rescued children remain in protective custody.