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Pastor, church members arrested over missing girl

BY PATIENCE OGBO

May 3, 2010 12:45AM
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A pastor, Samuel Akpan, 32, and three other members of his church have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 15 year old girl, Chinedu Kalu.

The incident happened at Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb, last month when the mother of the girl, Mariam Kalu, took her four children to the Truth Foundation Healing Church for deliverance.

Mrs. Kalu alleged that the pastor told her that a prophesy session revealed that her children were under the spell of ‘ancestral spirits' and subsequently asked them to embark on a fast, and produce various objects that would be used for a deliverance service.

The mother of four, in a bid to cleanse her children from the influence of the ‘ancestral spirit' complied with the directives of the church and provided the requirements for the deliverance of her children.

Missing after ‘deliverance.'

Mr. Akpan and one Mary Smart, an evangelist, allegedly performed the said deliverance in March. However, a catch arose when Mrs. Kalu woke the next morning in the church to discover that her daughter, a junior secondary two student, was missing.

"Last month, I told one of my friends that I need prayer for my children, she then carry me go this Calabar church called Truth Foundation Healing Ministry," said Mrs. Kalu. "I met with the reverend and they asked me to bring my children for prayers. When we got there, the GO (General overseer) said that my children have ancestral spirit disturbing them so that was how he asked us to come for deliverance.

He directed me to one Evangelist Mary Smart, who told me to bring N10,000, she said she was supposed to charge me N100,000 for the deliverance but since they know that I cannot afford it, I should just come with N10,000. She asked me to also bring native egg, native sponge, 21 unripe plantain, five N5 and N10 notes, palm oil and groundnut oil for the deliverance. I gave them N8,000 and all what they asked for, they now told me that me and my children should fast, around 1.00am.

This was in March, the GO and the evangelist conducted the deliverance inside their church, me and my children slept off but when I woke up in the morning, I did not see my 15 years old daughter again. I raised alarm and the pastor and the evangelist told me that I should not report to the police that God will bring my daughter back, so since March now I have not seen her and that was why I went to report to the police."

Mr. Akpan denied any complicity in the disappearance, and claimed that the child was suffering from autism, which might have caused her to wander off the premises and get lost. He expressed his optimism that God would vindicate him.

"This woman came for deliverance with her children," he said. "That particular child that is missing now is an slowpoke. The mother brought her for prayers and we prayed for her and the other children in my church. I left them inside the church and went to sleep after the deliverance which was about 1.00am.

When I woke up and came to the church the next morning, she came to me [and said] that her daughter was missing. We looked around for her but we did not see her. I told her that God will bring her back and she even reassured me that it was not the first time the girl will disappear like that. So I said we should pray. I did not report to the police because I believe that God will bring her back."

Police reaction

Reacting, Frank Mba, the spokesperson for the Lagos police command, warned that religious organizations would be held responsible for anybody who is declared missing while in their custody.

"It is unfortunate that this woman went to seek for spiritual help for her children and now her daughter is missing, right inside the church," he said. "We implore people to practice their religion within the confines of the law.

Mr. Mba expressed dismay that the case was not reported to the police immediately it happened, but promised that the police would continue investigations into locating the missing girl.

"We are working hard to locate this girl and reunite her with her family," he said. "Anybody found guilty of the crime will be prosecuted. This girl has gone missing since March but the case was never reported to the police; a responsible clergyman should have reported immediately and this speaks a lot of volume. The commissioner of police has ordered a discreet investigation into the matter."

I supposed this should have been postest in crime or religiouse section and the topic is missleading. After reading the whole article i could not see any case of robbery or kidnap in it.

Mrs. Kalu alleged that the pastor told her that a prophesy session revealed that her children were under the spell of ‘ancestral spirits' and subsequently asked them to embark on a fast, and produce various objects that would be used for a deliverance service.

The mother of four, in a bid to cleanse her children from the influence of the ‘ancestral spirit' complied with the directives of the church and provided the requirements for the deliverance of her children.

The above statement showed pre-meditated deceit and intention to extort Mrs Kalu under false pretence of rendering a genuine service.Definitely, the pastor had no spiritual power of any sort otherwise He should have been able to provide the girl's whereabout by now; with his mystical powers that He used to detect that Children are under a spell. I watched the TV telecast and the pastor was visibly shaken; just like other criminals in police net.

He directed me to one Evangelist Mary Smart, who told me to bring N10,000, she said she was supposed to charge me N100,000 for the deliverance but since they know that I cannot afford it, I should just come with N10,000. She asked me to also bring native egg, native sponge, 21 unripe plantain, five N5 and N10 notes, palm oil and groundnut oil for the deliverance. I gave them N8,000 and all what they asked for, they now told me that me and my children should fast, around 1.00am.

The pastor and the evangelist furthermore deceives Mrs Kalu to part with =N=8,000 and also requested her to provide things that appear like "JUJU" materials to me. What else could this be if not "419". What is the difference between this and duping someone.

Missing after ‘deliverance.'

Mr. Akpan and one Mary Smart, an evangelist, allegedly performed the said deliverance in March. However, a catch arose when Mrs. Kalu woke the next morning in the church to discover that her daughter, a junior secondary two student, was missing.

This was in March, the GO and the evangelist conducted the deliverance inside their church, me and my children slept off but when I woke up in the morning, I did not see my 15 years old daughter again. I raised alarm and the pastor and the evangelist told me that I should not report to the police that God will bring my daughter back, so since March now I have not seen her and that was why I went to report to the police."

Suddenly daughter goes missing; pastor tells her not to report to police; Doesn't this look like a clear case of abduction.

JaaizTech:

Mrs. Kalu alleged that the pastor told her that a prophesy session revealed that her children were under the spell of ‘ancestral spirits' and subsequently asked them to embark on a fast, and produce various objects that would be used for a deliverance service.

JaaizTech:

He directed me to one Evangelist Mary Smart, who told me to bring N10,000, she said she was supposed to charge me N100,000 for the deliverance but since they know that I cannot afford it, I should just come with N10,000. She asked me to also bring native egg, native sponge, 21 unripe plantain, five N5 and N10 notes, palm oil and groundnut oil for the deliverance. I gave them N8,000 and all what they asked for, they now told me that me and my children should fast, around 1.00am.

JaaizTech:

I raised alarm and the pastor and the evangelist told me that I should not report to the police that God will bring my daughter back, so since March now I have not seen her and that was why I went to report to the police.

She believed all these rubbish?

There are millions of ignorant morons in Nigeria. Just extremely daft.