44 year-old man, identified as Osayande Ekhator, reportedly died
during a deliverance in one of the new generation churches, Hope
Ministries, also known as Holy Ghost Deliverance Centre.
Vanguard gathered that the death of the man angered the youths in the
area who stormed the church with dangerous weapons, destroying its
properties, including musical instruments, electrical appliances and
vehicles parked in the premises.
The father of the deceased, Pa Erase Ekhator, lamented that the
deceased visited him the previous day to inform him he was attending a
deliverance in the church, that he quickly obliged him the request.
He said confusion, however, enveloped the
deliverance when he heard the deceased crying out for help.
"They forced him and tied both his legs and
hands, carried a bucket full of water and poured it on his body. The
mother asked why and they said that it is what they usually do to calm
him down after struggling for five minutes, only for Osanyade to die
in the church,'' the deceased father said in anguish.
Sister of the deceased, Mrs Omoregie Osas, who suspected foul play in
the death of his late brother, alleged that they beat him to death
because the cloth he was putting on was pulled off and they wore him
another one."
But reacting to the allegation, the resident
Pastor of the Church, Mrs Isoken Okudaye, and a church member who
claimed he witnessed what happened, said the victim who they claimed
was violent during the deliverance, accidentally hit his head on a
nearby generating set and died.
Pastor Okudaye said:
"We have been taking care of his father
without any money; we don't kill, beat or
destroy souls here. If they bring people with insanity here, we heal them."
An eyewitness told newsmen:
"When we heard that somebody died there,
we all ran to the church to know what happened, but some angry youths
started destroying the altar and everything in the church.
We had to escape from the scene so that we won't be attacked."
Reacting to the development, Edo State
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Steve Onwunchie, who confirmed
the incident, said the police had commenced investigation into the
matter, adding that the findings would be made public at the
appropriate time.
Image Credits: News247 pc ads bottom