The pastor of a new generation church in Makurdi and an alleged usher in his church, whose names were withheld, narrowly escaped death at the weekend when they were beaten to a pulp by youths of the New Layout area of Kanshio in the outskirts of Makurdi town for the alleged disappearance of the genital of a young man.
It was gathered from an eyewitness that a young man had Saturday evening raised an alarm accusing another of snatching his genitals and the alarm attracted the attention of passers-by and neighbours who descended on the suspect and beat him to a pulp, reports Sunday Vanguard.
He said, “We suspect that it was when he realised that they might kill him that he told the mob that it was his pastor who asked him to steal somebody’s penis and bring it to him.
“He was then asked to lead the mob to the pastor’s house. When they got there, the pastor was seized from his family and given the beating of his life.
“Already the young man had been stripped naked, and the both of them would have been killed but for the timely arrival of the police who whisked them to the ‘B Division’ Police Station.
“At the police station it was realised that it was a false alarm and no one lost his genitals in the first place. The pastor and the young man would have been killed just for nothing.”
Meanwhile in a trending video on social media, the pastor was seen looking confused and helpless while his alleged usher who was already stripped naked was being questioned by one of those who arrested him.
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent,SP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the development said, “I met the people Sunday morning at ‘B Division’ but when they narrated the story it was pathetic.
“Someone raised an alarm and a group of youths who knew nothing about what happened began to torture innocent people. This is inhuman and condemnable.
“According to them, a young man raised an alarm of theft of genital organ. The youth picked up the closest person and beat him up till he decided to admit and mention his pastor as the person who sent him with the hope that the pastor will come and save him.
“The youth got the same pastor and beat him up as well. Help came when the police got to know and rescued them. It is too bad because there is no element of truth in this. Since the history of these allegations, it has never been proven and the complainants are usually advised and told that nothing was wrong with them.”
The PPRO said no arrests had been made but investigation into the matter was ongoing.
