The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has condemned the flogging of over 20 children by a Rivers State pastor during what he described as a “spiritual cleansing,” describing the act as a clear case of child abuse. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, NAPTIP’s Rivers State official, Nwamaka Ikediashi, said some parents defending the pastor were also victims who required counselling to understand the implications of their actions.
Ikediashi explained that many of the parents had consented to the act without realising its abusive nature, recounting how one parent admitted her child was among those “purified” using pigeon blood, water, and palm fruit. “The parents are victims as well because they do not understand the implications. If they did, they would never allow their children to be subjected to such inhuman treatment and torture,” she said.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that investigations into the incident were ongoing. According to authorities, the pastor, identified as Ifediorah Joseph, organised a three-day programme involving minors, which he claimed was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Video footage of the children being flogged surfaced on social media, prompting a swift police operation to the church in Port Harcourt. The pastor and several church members were arrested, and the children were rescued and placed under protective care.
However, in a surprising twist, some of the rescued children and their parents later stormed the police station, singing and dancing in solidarity with the pastor. One parent told journalists she willingly allowed her child to participate in the ritual, claiming it was meant to protect the children from an imminent spiritual threat.
NAPTIP has urged parents to seek guidance and understand the dangers of harmful traditional and religious practices, stressing that the agency remains committed to protecting children from abuse disguised as cultural or spiritual rites.
